The Winds Have Changed
by ai12love
Summary: When Sakura's past rears its head it may drastically change her future. All she really wanted to do was take the Kazekage on a tour of the city. Set Post Naruto the Last with some Canon divergent spins.
1. Chapter 1

He was arriving. Anyone who knew the Hokage in training, Naruto Uzumaki, knew that he was coming. The blonde was positively giddy and his happiness was nothing shy of euphoria. Sakura was almost beside herself with relief at the fact that the day had finally arrived. In Naruto's defense it had been a while. Since the war had ended he had quite a bit to do. In truth they all had so much to do in the aftermath of the war. Once the war had ended and the treaties had been signed there seemed to be a massive switch in power. The villages had to find income in the public sector. With the five shinobi nations united there was little reason for such a massive Shinobi force. So, in the two years that had past, the nations had adapted, had coped in a way. Some nations have transitioned quite well, better than others in this new era and that was why he was coming. Konoha had stuck to the past too long and was needing to adapt to modern times. Kakashi sensei had checked with the council and thought assembling a few meetings with the nations that were fairing well would be a great help to the village hidden in the leaf.

Sakura for once had a pretty empty day at the hospital and decided she would be the one to escort him throughout the city and during the meetings this week. She knew that he preferred to have someone he knew while he was in the leaf and so Sakura was sitting there at the entrance gates, waiting patiently for him to arrive, settle into his rooms for the week and then and only then tell Naruto that he had arrived. Wiping a bit of sweat from her brow, hand scraping the seal that so resembled his the color of his teal eyes she saw his party arriving in the distance. There were three as per usual. Though in fact the appearance of three people should now be an odd occurrence. Temari had married Shikamaru in Suna two months ago and had since lived here in Konoha. Kankuro had been stepping in as best he could but his skills were still in leading Suna's impressive military force, one that now specialized in private military services for the well to do that could afford him. She assumed that the Kazekage needed a new aid to replace the one he had lost with his sister's transfer to Konoha. Standing up to greet the team properly Sakura couldn't help but judge this new outside presence to the sand siblings that she had come to know and love.

The first thing she noticed was that this newcomer was not the warrior princess that Temari always effortlessly claimed to be and was. In fact she almost seemed the exact opposite of anything Shinobi related period. Her shoes were almost inappropriately tall, the thigh high boots spanning her legs and giving her the appearance of being much taller than she was. The boots then ended in shorts that resembled her own black pair, though Sakura noted they were a good four inches shorter than hers. The space between the boots and shorts was actually bare; leaving a band of Carmel colored skin that seemed not to have a stray scar mole or hair on them. It was red that she saw next, a kimono like mini dress that spanned her body and arms, hanging precariously off one shoulder and masking both hands, was covered in a red that matched the vibrancy of the Kazekage's own hair. Not that Sakura was one to complain. She herself was one to have sported the color red since she was a youth, but to see it draped on her so, so seductively made the color suddenly garish. Daring to glance further up she scoffed at the long jet black hair that cascaded down one shoulder, too long and well kept to be a proper Shinobi and so out of place to what she assumed Gaara could have desired in a new aid. All of this could have been forgiven. Suna was well known to have had a large textile industry even in Shinobi times, the fashion world there had only blossomed and even in her youth she always remembered the sand siblings constantly changing up their hair and fashion. Even the wild child that Gaara was as a teen still carried sense of meticulously placed fashion.

So Sakura could've forgiven her less than Shinobi like wardrobe. Sakura could have even forgiven the fact that she was pretty. Beautiful really, but Gaara had always had pretty women around him, and so Sakura would've ignored that and placed her irritation with the label of childhood jealousy. A wound that never really left the still rather flat chested woman. Sakura was ready to put aside all of that until she dared to look at her face.

And without warning Sakura became angry. It wasn't her full cupids bow like lips, or her seemingly flawless skin with that envious Suna tan. It wasn't the long tresses she had that made Sakura yearn for her long hair that she hadn't had since she was a genin. No, it wasn't even the ox blood painted nails she had that were far too perfect for any real Shinobi to achieve. No, Sakura's blood boiled at the sight of long thick envious eyelashes behind sultry mauve colored eyes. A chocolate covered cherry was the image she pictured; but Sakura smelled a cedar wood not native to Konoha and she felt like retching. What was it about her eyes that made Sakura's stomach curl? She had certainly never met the woman before and she knew she was in no bingo books she could remember. She looked roughly their age, maybe one or two years younger. Possibly she fought in the war. Possibly she was at an inn Sakura also stayed at and they had a rude encounter. She couldn't place her finger on it but she felt it was vital to her. She felt it was one of the most important things about her life. But she couldn't let that show. Swallowing her feelings she put on a smile and started to walk towards them.

Kankuro was the first to spot her, a grin on his face as he nudged his baby brother and gestured towards the pink blob in the distance. "Looks like Kakashi really wants us to help him out if he got the leaf's number one Kunoichi to show us around. Maybe this time I'll finally tell her that you ranked her number one personally eh Gaara." He teased, earning a giggle from the female in the group and a death glare from the Kazekage as a response. He vowed to never let Kankuro take him out for drinks in Suna's red light district ever again. Lee had visited and the two had convinced him to put on a henge and celebrate his birthday like a normal single man would do. So too many drinks later he refused to dance, he won enough at gambling, and was sitting at a bar with the two, ranking the merits in the leaf's females. (he refused to rank his own citizens for fear of favoritism). In Gaara's own defense looks didn't matter in his rubric, never the less Kankuro never let it down when he actually argued that there was no way Ino could ever beat Sakura and you were blind to think so. In retrospect had he known they were ranking looks Gaara would've kept his mouth shut.

Trudging on Gaara led the pack towards the pinkette, removing his Kazekage hat and placing it around his back as his unruly red hair shuffled in the wind. It was getting honestly too long and he needed to remind himself to ask Sakura of the location of a respectable barber while he was in town. It wouldn't survive the week, and with the humidity Konoha had this time of year, neither would he.

Smiling genuinely Sakura closed the gap between them and bowed briefly. "Kankuro-san, Kazekage-sama it's a pleasure to see you in the leaf again. I would be happy to escort you to your rooms so you can unwind a bit after your journey. If" she started before Gaara raised a simple hand, a small frown on his face the only tells of his discomfort.

"Sakura please lets speak comfortably amongst one another. We've known each other since we were children and I loathe to think we are on such formal terms after spending nearly every day together in the war; even if it has been some time since we've seen one another." Smiling widely she relaxed her posture a bit and went to hug Kankuro warmly and then Gaara gingerly, noting with a small sigh the stark contrast between the bear like squeeze of the elder versus the almost tender embrace at the small of her back with the younger brother. Pulling back Kankuro grinned and nudged the female of their party explaining.

"Pinky here was Gaara's right hand woman in the war as she lead the medic core. If you ever want to know what Gaara fears, it's making this woman angry. I think Sakura terrified the whole Suna army after seeing how Gaara paled against her wrath." While Sakura chuckled widely Gaara allowed himself a simple eye roll, however, not to be left out of his own joke he mentioned softly. "It wasn't that bad, but I did change her status in Suna bingo books to flee on sight after the war. While indeed intimidating in battle she's truly a force as a doctor."

Sakura's chuckles turned into a frown as she stepped back to view the trio better. "I've never met this woman before and you two are giving her horror stories about me? Should I tell her instead about how awful a set of patients the sand siblings are, or how I can drink you both under the table?" She chuckled feeling a little less of her blood boiling at the sight of mirth in the woman's eyes before her. For some reason Sakura couldn't picture those eyes showing any emotion and that separated the woman from the feeling Sakura had.

Raising a hand in truce Gaara allowed a small smile to grace his features before answering. "I apologize for my rudeness Sakura. Please allow me to introduce my aid to you. I've had a hard time finding a replacement since you stole Temari from me so I hope you will add her to the fold nicely. Sakura this is Wisteria, Wisteria it is my pleasure to introduce you to the Godamine Hokage's successor Sakura Haruno."

Wisteria stepped up to Sakura with a small bow and a lazy grin on her face. "I have always wondered what the great Sakura Haruno looked like. I'm pleased to meet your acquaintance Sakura-san. My name is Askuna no Wisteria please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you or what additional roles I need to take in Konoha in order to make Gaara-sama's stay more comfortable."

And Sakura was fully about to deny her compliments, rebuttal with the pleasure being all hers and that for Gaara to take her as an aid she must be a great resource. That she would be happy to help and assist her in any way and all she needed to do was ask. But Sakura did none of that because Wisteria's name registered in Sakura's mind; and so there was only one word that could escape her lips as she both paled and felt her blood boil in rage. Only one word could ever express the range of emotions and questions that needed to be answered. Only one word could even be fathomed at this moment in time and that word, that precious word hissed out of Sakura's mouth as green eyes harden into emeralds, was simply

"Sasori."


	2. Chapter 2

_"_ _Sasori"_ Sakura seethed, seemingly frozen in this moment in time.

Sabuku no Gaara was not a stupid man. He was, even as child well ahead of the others in most subjects. However, when you have a blood thirsty demon inside you teachers rarely notice a prodigy on their hands. He could tell that the pinkette was about to boil over and it wouldn't do to have Sakura break a treaty that had been going on for nearly a decade now, even if Gaara would certainly forgive her for lashing out at him. Holding a hand on her shoulder the Kazekage spoke lowly and clearly, his own teal orbs capturing her. "Show us to our rooms Sakura. I'm sure Wisteria has a few questions for you like you have some for her. While I would normally not permit this to be leaf knowledge at all, you are in a place of privilege and deserve to know the truth." He paused turning Sakura towards the leaf with a gentle but firm hand on the small of her back. Guiding her to the VIP villa that was often used for visiting dignitaries like himself.

Any other man and Sakura would have ensured that they had lost their hand for manhandling her so, but she knew Gaara. Gaara could see what little self control she had was spilling out and she could do little to control it while out here in the open. Schooling her features for this singular task she allowed the Kazekage to guide her towards the villa that she knew he could probably find in his sleep. The feeling of his hand both calming and unnerving her as she felt like a marionette on the red head's strings. Not exactly the image she wanted to conjure at this present time.

Unlocking the doors once they got to the lavish home, and adjusting her trek to the Western Wing that had been set up and stocked for the Kazekage and group she relaxed a bit better. The calm of a small fountain and bird bath in the back garden soothing her racing mind. Sitting down on a chair and motioning for Gaara and Wisteria to sit across from her she waited. "Well?"

Kankuro coughed and left the room with a murmur of going to unpack in his room and the quartet was reduced to a trio. Gaara stood at the opposing females, Wisteria's calm demeanor contrasted with the waves of distress coming from Sakura. He was not fond of this silent stand off and couldn't have two of the smartest women in his life act this way. "Wisteria." Gaara mentioned, stepping back to sit on the nearby window sill. Becoming what seemed to be the necessary moderator for their encounter. "Sakura is a precious person. I trust she will not betray our trust. You may relax with her. Sakura I trust you not to betray my confidence in you and that you will give my aid the respect she deserves."

Gaara was always just a bit smug. Sakura thought. While it added to his charm the pinkette frowned as she crossed her legs, before frowning at the seductive stance Wisteria seemed to have. The brunette gave a sultry look to the redhead before relaxing and turning towards Sakura, a very familiar smirk on her face.

"Resemblance is uncanny innit?" She chuckled going into her sleeve and pulling out a weathered photo from her sleeve handing it to Sakura; a small judgement of Sakura's own short damaged nails gracing her features. "My mother always said I was his best creation. Never to be denied who my maker was." Sakura paused and looked at what was a family photo.

It was shocking at first how similar this photo matched her own images at home. A woman with Wisteria's skin tone and hair had a small smile on her face was featured on the right. A younger Wisteria set in the center, a grin on her face as she held up a Genin headband from Kumo. Sakura remembered having a similar face when she first became a Shinobi but what was truly amazing was the redhead on the left. A small hint of a smile on his features as he placed a puppet like hand on Wisteria's shoulder, looking just about the same as when Sakura remembered him. It seemed like a loving family, she seemed like she loved her father and mother dearly but then who the hell was the mass murderer that Sakura killed those years ago. "How?" Was all she could express, needing so much more with all the questions the picture asked.

"My father wasn't always a puppet Sakura. He was a man once and one desperate to find immortality. No man is immune to the idea of lengthening his name in blood and when his own puppet body was nearing completion he sought out to find an heir. I suppose he was doing his hurrah trip as a man as well, seeing as there was no need for such urges as a living puppet. He found my mother and thought that she would do." Sakura thought this sounded better. This egotistical superior thinking man was the Sasori she knew. Yet, Wisteria did not say these things in distaste, merely as if it was the beginning to a story of villain turned hero.

"My mother came from very little. She wasn't as pretty as the woman you saw in the pictures but she had potential. She was smart enough to carry a decent conversation and submissive enough as she spent her life before meeting my father as a maid to Noblemen. _Sasori the man was even more handsome in his human form_ , she would tell me but that form had scars and injuries and blemishes. Something that wouldn't do in a man that needed perfection." Pausing to look at Gaara Wisteria seemed hesitant to continue before his nod, signaling that Sakura again could be trusted. Whether or not Sakura trusted Wisteria was an entirely different ordeal.

"My mother got pregnant with me after a matter of weeks. Sasori was a very efficient man and make no mistakes he never loved my mother. But he never hit her never lied to her, and ensured that she would carry me in a lifestyle she could only dream of. But that was only if she listened. If she became the perfect mother to what he called his greatest creation, then she would never see the life of a pauper again. He perfected her face, her body, ensuring as many procedures as he could without hurting me. He instructed my mother in art science literature, knowing he couldn't always be around to assist me in my studies. Sasori was not a kind man to my mother. I would hear him say she meant as much to him as a maid. That if I did not exist she would be nothing and she could never forget that." So there it was again. Something said that conflicted. Wisteria had just said the most heartless things about Sasori, but Sakura could find no anger for the man in her. Why was she like this? What Sasori did she see?

"You probably are wondering how I turned out yes? The daughter of the Akatsuki. My Godfather was the Uchiha and my Godmother was Konan. My father was a deadly dangerous evil criminal who did unforgivable atrocities. Including kill my current boss." She paused motioning to Gaara with a nod. "My father never lied to me about his deeds. I knew of his assignation of the third Kazekage at 8. I knew of his poisons and could recite the majority of them and their antidotes before I was properly in school. My father was not a good man and he ensured to his last breath that I never thought otherwise." She paused, lowering her shoulder and turning her back to Sakura to show a scar in similar coloring to Gaara's Kanji. It was the brand of the Scorpion. His calling card and marked all Sasori works. It was on many of Kankuro's puppets but why was she showing Sakura this?

"I asked Gaara-sama to brand me with his mark not to remind myself of those terrible parts of my father. I know them well enough by looking at your face, or Gaara-sama's or Kankuro-san's. No what you need to know Sakura-san and why I proudly wear his name and his calling card is that you killed an S ranked criminal, a member of the Suna noble family," She paused looking down as if holding a painful memory back; "and the most amazing father in the five nations."

Sakura was shocked, a gasp escaped her lips before she snapped pink lips shut, urging her to continue. "You probably don't believe me ey? Not after all I said about him. However, I needed to say these things as contrast. He was so good to me that it was only greatened by how little he cared for everyone else. My father not only provided for me better than many of the richest nobles in all of Kumo but he cared for me. How many fathers have you known that would sit with his daughter and meticulously brush her hair, braid it up, and read them bedtime stories? My father taught me to paint and to dance and to sing and to play instruments just as well as he taught me to fight and train and to use his skills and talents at puppetry. He always told me that I needed to be as smart as I was beautiful, and I was the most beautiful girl in the world. He told me I needed to be as thoughtful as I was strong, and he always said I only showed weakness to trick people and he was so proud. He said perfection was learned so the first mistake was always necessary. He taught me that time was money and if I wanted to be very rich I never needed to be late. You I'm sure knew my father was not a patient man." She laughed and it seemed genuine. Who was this Sasori? Sakura couldn't even fathom that she was talking about the same person.

"I never wanted for anything. Sasori insured that I always was in the best fashions. He would make me beautiful dolls as a girl or the most ornate delicate senbon that we would fill with a poison we would craft together. He told me to hide my identity when I joined the ninja academy from our home deep in the mountains but as a child that village was incredibly safe. Imagine a village where the children played freely because there would be no risk of crime. Even if my father could not visit for months, he would often write and would send a member of the Akatsuki to check up on me. My elder brothers all protecting me, teaching me skills both of their passions and their profession. A child that learned the sword fighting of the Mist, that had genjustu training from the fire's Uchiha clan, That had the Wind's puppetry technique mastered by 7 years old." She scoffed and Sakura recoiled as she realized Wisteria saw her sizing her up.

"But I don't know if even your Sasuke Uchiha knew his brother had a beautiful singing voice. Or that Deidara would have sold out art exhibitions under various aliases. That Kisame was a brilliant chef, or that if my father wanted to he could have been the best fashion designer the world over." She chuckled, pausing to point at Sakura. My mother died of illness shortly after that photo. Sasori delayed his capture of the one tail to console me and establish my name and trust fund. He wanted to guarantee my life as a good one. He gave me his scrolls as a present then. Incase I ever wanted to become like him and follow his path of weaponry. But he never wanted me to be a living puppet.

 _Wisteria my climbing flower._ He said _, you will always be perfection. The perfect woman and no one shall deny you anything. You are my immortality. You are my everlasting beauty. You are my greatest creation and if you ever desire to stay like I am you need only ask. But I simply want you to grow and marry and produce your own creation. I will be with you then and always. The scorpion prevails."_ She gasped out, tears falling onto her lips as she repeated.

"The scorpion prevails. Those were the last words I ever heard my father say to me. You killed him 7 months after disease killed my mother." She paused looking up at Sakura with a steal in her eyes. Sakura couldn't express her emotions. What was she to say? She couldn't have even imagined the man she fought being someone to say such powerful, positive, beautiful things. She needed to say something, but there were no words to that.

"What did you do next?" Sakura whispered grabbing a handkerchief from her pack and giving it to her, noting that even through tears not an ounce of makeup was smeared on her face.

"I got word of where he passed, wanting to pay him proper respects. However, in his wishes I was forbidden for a year. In case he was revived and my mourning was pointless. By that time the war was starting and I have a particular set of skills that were useful. My godparents and birth parents were dead and being used so horribly to dishonor their passing. You did nothing to right that by the way. I found everyone that I could and honored them. I will say the leaf carried leaf's burial rites properly. I cremated Deidara and sent his ashes to his parents. I gave Kisame a burial at sea and ensured his family received his legendary sword. I tended to graves and said blessing for their passages. So few people in this world care about the monsters." She looked at Gaara and Sakura couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt and jealousy run through her.

"Stop telling people they aren't monsters. Some are. Gaara-sama is a monster." Sakura immediately shot up to argue when Gaara himself raised a hand to let her continue.

"Gaara-sama is a monster. He's killed hundreds of people without blinking. He's got an insatiable blood lust that he can't always control. Even without Shukaku Gaara-sama is still the type of killer that seeming was designed by war gods themselves. My father would've loved him. Nevertheless that doesn't mean he isn't the greatest Kazekage the world has ever seen. Doesn't mean that he doesn't have a wicked tongue if you cross him, or that he can't have an amazing green thumb or a cultivated cacti collection that most botanists would gawk at. It doesn't mean that children can't adore him or he couldn't be shy or sweet or gentle. You can be a monster and a good man. Not all monsters under our bed are out to get us. If we started thinking that we needed some monsters instead of making them hide that part of them, the world would be a lot safer." She paused, a sense of relaxation cascading over her as she finished up for Sakura.

"It was shortly after the war that I went to my father's final resting place. Kankuro had taken all of the useful puppets but had kindly left my father, minus his core along with the scraps of remaining puppets." Bitting her lip Wisteria held out her hand for the photo, taking it back and looking at it as she finished. "My father named all his puppets. I knew them all by heart. I arranged them as best I could, burying the living puppets and placing a card for the created. I used my puppet strings to have my father hold me one last time, dance with me one last time, train with me one last time; and then I buried him. Not there in that cave where he lost. I buried him at an oasis in the desert. Where he had his first love. His first partner. My father told me he was bisexual, but I always thought he was gay. He never liked women much, but he knew them. He could woo them and seduce them as easy as breathing. I took his lessons to heart and crafted myself as the perfect Shinobi of the shadows. I wanted to be closer to him so I moved to Suna. I showed them my birth papers and offered his scrolls as tribute to the Wind and asked to be with my father's people. To meet my great uncle, and to do some good in a way that only I could. I was lucky my father was a sand Shinobi; if it were anyone else I think I'd be tried as a criminal."

She smiled at him. " _Let not the sins of the father be placed on the son"_ "Gaara said that when his council tried to arrest me. I ended up giving the sand a technique they held over the other nations for decades that hadn't been truly done to the level of Sasori ever. They had everything important he ever worked on, including me." She stood at that bowing to Sakura before taking her leave. "I have earned my right at his side and he has been vital to rebuilding everything you and your friends destroyed in me. Please do not insult me and include me in your dealings with the Kazekage's schedule as you would have Temari. I would loathe for you to irk my fire; I do so well in keeping a cool head." Bowing briefly at the both of them. " Gaara-sama I will be taking the evening off and unfortunately will be unavailable to join you in your welcome dinner. If you need me at all please just call and I will return to you as usual in the morning.

With that she took her leave, only pausing for Gaara's nod of approval. Slowly trying to unpack all that she had just learned about Sasori, the Akatsuki, of Wisteria had her head spinning. Turning to walk towards Gaara she looked at him with a frown. "Let's grab some tea, we need to talk."

So you guys get it two days early cause next week's is already done. If I get two chapters ahead I may even post early for next week too. Keep reviewing commenting and the like and I'll keep posting early!

Until the next one.


	3. Chapter 3

Turning to walk towards Gaara she looked at him with a frown. _"Let's grab some tea, we need to talk."_

It was a simple matter to walk to the busy kitchens of the complex. Sakura looked with mirth at the giddy kitchen staff who were all too happy to serve the young kazekage a pot of his favorite jasmine tea and two cups. Even without the Shukaku to occupy Gaara's nights, the man still didn't sleep well at night, much to Sakura's chagrin. She had learned however, that he had been pleasant company for the night kitchen staff and was a happy change to the demanding elder dignitaries that the estate was used to seeing.

Stepping out into the back garden, in full view of the moon rising in the beginnings of a warm evening, she sighed. It was only a few days till the full moon and as such they had plenty of light between the two of them. Pouring them both a proper cup and letting the tea cool a bit she started simply. "Do you trust her?"

Gaara paused as he looked at Sakura's tense form. It was obvious that she had much more to say about the development and he honestly didn't blame her for her state of being. He had gotten to know Sakura well enough in the years past that he could wait for her to unravel for him. She always did anyways.

"I trust her enough. I know I can control her if needed and she, despite her upbringing, has done nothing to warrant anything but my respect and at least a first chance from her." He paused to pick up his tea, sniffing to see if it had blended the flavors to an appropriate level. "I had Killer Bee confirm locally if you wanted something from her own village."

Sakura nodded, honestly not expecting him to say much otherwise. It still helped her to hear the words come out of the redhead's mouth. Gaara didn't lie to her if he could help it, and she needed that stability in her life more than she would ever admit. Resolving that she would have no backlash for keeping an eye on her she made a more flippant comment, but one that irritated her almost as much.

"She's quite pretty."

Snorting softly Gaara raised an eyebrow and attempted to one up her jab. "Prettier than my ex fiancé?"

The pinkette's emerald eyes widened at the volley and resounded to this tit for tat conversation they had decided to have. It was comfortable in its familiarity and one that remind her of her days spent at his side in the Shinobi war.

"She's doing fine by the way. Settled in nicely." Pausing to sip her tea she added to her blow, "And yes, she's even prettier. A bit too seductive for a Kazekage's aid though wouldn't you think?"

Not one to have her question his ability to judge character or find an appropriate aid he soon quipped, "You're jealous."

"Of what?" Sakura scoffed. Playing off the retort as she blew and sipped her tea, a mumble of words under her breath as she defended. "It's not like I have any stake or reason to be jealous."

"You're not a very good liar Sakura. While you may be on your own _now._ You were still the last to have any real claim on me. You are still very much in the right to be a little jealous, even if you don't have any current stake."

"And who's fault is it now that I don't?" She hissed at him. Her jaw clinched in a mix of anger and hurt.

"Don't go there Sakura, you know it won't end well and you know exactly why we are where we are today." He added darkly; it was a final warning and not one he would repeat.

"I didn't cheat on you." She whispered softly.

"But you still can't look me in the eyes when you say that." He added, no venom in is words, just a simple phrase. One that hurt him more to know was still true.

There was a moment of pause as Sakura looked at the moon before them. Listening to the sounds of nature as she pulled back the mask of their civility. Redressed the wounds that clearly hadn't been scared over for either of them. She couldn't yet face him when she asked her next question.

"You branded her?"

Gaara waited for his response, a tendril of sand crossing her alabaster fingers, caressing them softly to soothe his answer. "Her story needs to be expressed from her lips, but it is a precaution as to why I am the one who gave her that mark. My sand is embedded in her body and bloodstream, it's contact point will mean I can always reach her. Protect her."

"And if she crosses you?" She asked looking towards him for assurance. Gaara simply nodded in return, taking his sand back and Sakura couldn't help but feel a chill at the lack of warmth her hand now felt.

"Did you touch her?"

"You are jealous."

"Answer the question."

It was Gaara's turn to look away, but only a moment as jade eyes steeled in her presence, accepting what she threw at him. "Once, it was a moment of weakness and it had not and will not happen again."

It shouldn't have hurt her to hear those words. It shouldn't have made her want to crawl inside herself and walk away. She didn't need to feel this way again and she was about to do just that when his hand touched hers.

"The moon was this big on that night." He started, knowing the words like a play only the two of them had seen.

"But you knew it wasn't the full moon so I was safe." She added, still not turned to him.

"You would've always been safe. You are always safe with me." He added, a single tug to move her back to sitting next to him.

"But we're better off apart." She whispered.

"Worse."

"we are." She started.

"We are." He interrupted. Letting go of her wrist, knowing full well that he could hold her much stronger with a gaze.

"We are simply apart, until now. I am here as are you for at least a week. We agreed even after we wouldn't do this. So don't. Don't be jealous, Don't think about my aid in any other manner than that. Don't dwell on what hurts us when we don't have to."

"It isn't that simple Gaara you know this. We are broken up. Worse no one even knows we were together. _You_ broke up with me and _you_ got engaged. Regardless of how that ended up." She sighed not understanding how frustrated the redhead could make her.

"They are not related and it does not matter. You are still mine, in a way no one else would ever be."

"Yes, but I don't get to be yours. You are shared with a nation, with your siblings, with your aid, with the woman who was your actual first. You can't hold on to me so all encompassing and I have such a small part of you." She gritted, refusing to let the tears that were coming fall from her face.

"You still have the most important part. Sakura you…." He stopped then, holding her gaze as he silently began to disrobe. Maneuvering the buckles of his vest and unbuttoning his jacket he slipped out of one sleeve of a simple black tee to show a scar that seemed to strike near his heart. It blended almost in contrast to the nearly faded Chidori scar from their chunin exams.

"I told you to get that finished up." Sakura whispered. She had healed what would have been a life ending wound for him, but she didn't have the strength to erase the scar; telling him to see a medic later to finish it up.

"Why would I ever get rid of permanent evidence of who you are to me? You left your chakra in the scar tissue, knowing it couldn't be absorbed by my body."

"I wanted to sense if you were in danger. I couldn't have you hurt when we were so close to our goal." She responded moving to seal up and finish her work, only to have him stop her hand.

"Don't you dare." His gaze was nearly animalistic at that point, and only a hair's breadth of a moment more he pulled her in for a searing kiss. Lips hot and Sakura only resisted a moment as she whispered out.

"We are broken up." His lips still tasted like cinnamon and sand.

"We are." He replied as he pulled her in again. She pulled the strands of red hair at the back of his neck, releasing a growl she had forgotten she loved.

"I won't sleep with you." But that didn't stop her from pulling close to him as he entrapped her lips again with his and his hands on her hips.

"I'll be here for a while." A silent challenge to her defenses. To see if her word or her desire was stronger.

" _He_ gets here at the end of the week." She stabbed lightly, though the attack was weakened as she moaned through the feeling of his hands under her shirt, teasing the waistband of it before moving to her collar. Opening the first few buttons, he fully exposed her neck and left shoulder.

"Last I checked you were still single." He purred moving to reacquaint himself with her neck again. His memory too good as he composed a symphony of sounds that he relished as his favorite song.

" You have dinner with Kakashi tonight as a welcome." She closed her eyes as he nibbled a spot behind her ear; a large hand tangled in her pink tresses.

"I'm always late." He purred as he licked what he decided he wanted to be his first mark on her body to be. This one she could easily hide with her hair.

"I'm still angry with you." She moaned out, relinquishing her spot on the porch to straddle his lap.

"If you were any other woman Sakura, you would be dead for what you did to me." He bit down on her collarbone for emphasis. Drawing just the smallest trickle of blood to sate his still simmering rage over her transgression.

"Then why are you doing this?" She hissed out, pulling the red locks hard enough to force him away from her.

"Because I missed you. And I know you miss me." She was stopped from her reply by his lips and damn if it wasn't taking all of her strength to not submit to him. Yet it was he that released the kiss first, a predatory grin on his face as he settled a hand at the back of her neck. "You wouldn't have been my guide this trip if you didn't."

"You're a bastard." She frowned at him, eyes grazing to the trickle of her blood that was on his bottom lip.

"My parents were married when I was conceived."

"You're incorrigible." She pushed him back; moving to sit on her own and place a healing bit of chakra to his attack on her collarbone.

"You never seem to mind." He smirked wiping the smear of blood with his thumb before picking his tea back up. A simple glare at her to not heal the mark behind her ear ,as she moved her hand up, his only tell that the prior event ever occurred.

"We will not do this again." She ordered, only slightly aware of how few people in the world could even attempt to speak to Sabuku no Gaara this way. The man was a force to be reckoned with and at only 24 he was already in history books the world over. He simply smiled at her as he sipped his tea and looked at her rising form, allowing her to leave.

When she was at the door to head back into the hallways and escape the villa she heard the tenor of his voice again.

"And Sakura."

She turned towards him, stepping back at the predatory gaze he gave her; gripping the door in a way to stable herself in a strong stance.

"You know as well as I do that that was a sorry excuse for a lie. I'll see you later on at dinner. Please give Naruto my invitation if you had not already done so."

This man would be the death of her; but she would not lose this battle. No matter the cost.


	4. Chapter 4

Gaara finished his tea quite simply and at peace after Sakura left; a grin on his face as he collected the tray and set it on the counter. His brother was sitting at the kitchen table; bare faced, as he determined how to apply his war paint for the dinner.

"What says more formal, horizontal lines or left turns?" Kankuro asked with a smirk, looking at his baby bro. Setting to wash the cups and place them aside Gaara lingered just a bit longer at Sakura's cup before answering. "Your striking resemblance to Rasa would be the most formal."

Kankuro tsked at Gaara's comment before waving the brush in his hand at the redhead. "Listen baby bro. Kazekage or not you are not allowed to look at me with that tone of voice. Just because all the girls flock to you and mom's looks doesn't mean you have to insult me and mine." Grinning more so at his brother he paused, "So how's Sakura?"

Sighing deeply Gaara nodded and replied, "She'll be fine inshallah." He added, mixing in the Suna traditional tongue in the comfort of his brother's presence. "Wisteria?" He asked turning

towards his brother and noting his state of undress with a small groan that he himself would need to change.

"Just the same. She did press your costume though sand prince. If you want me to do your makeup you should get in the shower." Kankuro chuckled waving the paintbrush in his hands.

"Can't I just not bother and wear my robes?" The red head questioned staring at the door that would currently be holding the traditional garments of Suna he had to wear. In observation they were beautiful clothes. Golds and red scarves in sheer fabrics with intricate designs woven into them. However, they were a bitch to put on properly and Kankuro refused to let him wear them without decorating his face slightly. He was born with Tankuni marks; that was plenty war paint.

"Min sijak?" Kankuro questioned giving his baby brother an incredulous look at whether or not the almighty kazekage was really about to have a tantrum about clothes. Pausing to think of a proper reason it dawned on him.

"You haven't shown Naruto or Sakura your tattoo yet have you?" Kankuro accused, knowing his baby brother hated the bulk of the kazekage robes and hat. There had to be a good reason for him to dawn them.

"No, but that's not the point. The costumes stick out in the leaf and I'd rather not be bothered." He did however, place a hand on his right shoulder, directly over the ink that spanned from there to his elbow. A birthday present from his brother last year.

"Just dawn your eyes properly and man up. Leaf Kunoichi fawn over our costumes anyway. You'd probably have Sakura down your pants with the set Wisteria got you. Now go get dressed sand prince. I've got to cover up how much I look like our sperm donor." Kankuro chuckled before dodging a sand kunai; waving his hand for Gaara to go get ready.

Sakura groaned loudly, pressing as many bobby pins in her hair as she could. Naruto was through the roof when Sakura gave him the official invite to the welcome dinner. It was one of the nicest tea shops in the leaf and he hadn't seen Gaara in months. Hinata and him were on a vacation trip for their anniversary and had missed his last visit to Konoha. Reminding Naruto that it was formal dress only and that orange and black jumpsuits wouldn't cut it; she herself realized she needed to get ready or she wouldn't make it on time to set up the reservation.

Begging Ino to help her get ready she was quickly tying her hair up in an elegant enough bun. Placing a few ornamented senbon in her hair that were as delicate as they were deadly, she went on to grab the kimono she was wearing.

The thing was actually a beautifully expensive garment; one she was given after successfully saving the life of a dress maker while she was on her way back from a mission in the land of snow. It was a beautiful jade color with gold designs sewn in to it to resemble a sakura tree. The Obi was white and was accented with a pink belt adorned with gold petals. All in all the garment was probably worth more than sakura's apartment and Ino positively fumed when she saw who the dress was from.

Seeing the blond Kunoichi sigh again as she helped Sakura into the item Sakura responded. "Ino you agreed to help me get ready, if you're going to complain the whole time I can just get ready myself."

Shaking her head Ino quipped as she effortlessly placed Sakura into the kimono. "It's not that forehead. You know as well as I do The Lucky Rabbit takes months of reservations to even

squeeze a table into. You get a vip room for the whole night for free. I'm envious as hell plus you get to dress up and relax. This really is meant for me not you and you know it."

Shaking her head Sakura looked at how expertly Ino tied her obi. Making sure the many well to do men in the area knew she was available. "It's not just a party. I'm working to. I have to set it up so that everything is nice for Gaara and Kakashi sensei, plus I have to make sure all the ANBU have proper uniforms for the event. It helps everyone who works at the lucky rabbit wears masks anyway."

Ino sat Sakura down and began to adjust her hair, making every loose strand curl and be placed perfectly before she started on her makeup. "And with your track record how is that not a walk in the park? If it was anyone less than Gaara we would have sent genin to do this. Is Temari coming?"

Closing her eyes so Ino could start her makeup she hummed in confirmation. "Yes, her and Shikamaru are acting as bridges to the nations. I wondering if Temari will dress in a kimono or something more typical of Suna formal wear?"

Shutting Sakura's lips so Ino could have a still canvas she replied, "I think if she's as smart as I think she is she'll do some sort of combo and make Shikamaru do the same. But that being said you owe me for missing out on any Suna men wearing traditional clothes. I'm not even into either of them and I was in awe. The Suna Festival of Color was a sea of eye candy all wrapped up in embroidered bows. "

Giggling slightly Sakura couldn't help but speak, forcing Ino to work on her eyes. "Yeah Gaara actually saw you drooling over Kankuro, he said something along the lines of you looking like you wanted to devour him or something."

"Not like I didn't see you marveling over the red headed devil. Jesus Sakura you acted like you'd never seen someone without a shirt on before. I thought you were actually frozen in shock that the Kazekage had abs." She teased before a final sweep and proclaiming Sakura finished.

"You owe me. Dinner, drinks, shopping, a whole day plus if anything remotely gossip worthy appears I hear about it first deal?"

Sakura grinned, looking at the expert job Ino always did, "Deal." _

There were three arguments and one almost blow out that led them to being twenty minutes late. They compromised, Gaara would wear one ring and two arm bands but he had to only bring his small gourd. He could wear a shirt but Kankuro had to as well and Gaara's couldn't have sleeves.

Kankuro nearly lost his head but Gaara's eyes were eventually darkened with kohl that made the green of his irises nearly glow in the moonlight. Those were accented by a few tasteful dots around the bottom outer corners. It was Kankuro's convincing speech that ran though the Kazekage's head as they entered the establishment.

"No."

"Gaara, you're not wearing garments that took weeks to make only to dishonor them with a bare face."

"You're not touching my face."

"If you could do it yourself then by all means please do." "I'm not wearing them."

"Gaara."

"No."

"Gaara."

"No."

"Gaara!"

"What?!"

"Why do we wear warpaint?" Kankuro asked, his face steeled as he adjusted the purple and black scarves tied around his waist.

"To represent those of us who have fallen in the honor of battle." Gaara answered, knowing well the history of their past.

"Why do I wear purple?"

"To be honored by the past generations of the puppet brigade. To wear the colors not poisoned by green or humanized by red. The immortal army. The Desert Ghosts. The wooden soldier." Gaara groaned slightly; knowing where Kankuro was headed.

"And why, baby brother, can you, and only you, wear the color black?"

"Because I am the Kazekage. I alone hold the favor of the old gods and the new. I alone have passed the tests and been blessed by the desert to rule its people. I alone carry the blood of my people of my ancestors and of my descendants not yet of this world. Their blood, their sacrifice, their hopes I carry and it hardens my blood as payment. It is darkened to an armor only I can be burdened with. Only I can be blackened by it's power."

"Now." He smirked handing the black paintbrush over to his brother. "Are you going to go to a dinner about honor and tradition and Suna culture and prosperity and walk up in the Leaf's domain bare faced?"

"...No."

"You're damn right you're not. Now hurry up and look pretty, we're going to be late."

The Lucky Rabbit in it of itself Seemed like any other Tea House. It was set near a valley that

used to be part of the Uchiha compound. Sasuke had sold off half of it knowing that it would go into disrepair long before they would be filled with dark haired red eyed families again. The owners had turned it into a utopia of villas each decorated elegantly and filled with staff that waited hand and foot for their prestigious patrons. All with the upmost discretion down to the various rabbit half masks the employees wore.

It was a particular rabbit mask that puzzled Gaara as the two of them entered the main entry way to the restaurant. It was a simple white mask that covered from the forehead to the cheeks. The cheeks themselves were dawned with a peachy swirl that resembled, resembled.

"Naruto" He whispered out, under the comfort that his mouth was covered under a scarf just a shade darker than his own red locks. In fact the color more resembled the pristine bob that their hosted had. Bowing briefly to her and her back to them much more formally Gaara began to speak before a manicured hand was raised.

"Ah, it seems there will be auspicious times for us here at The Lucky Rabbit. The famed jack rabbit has entered our gates with his trusted tarantula. Your party is in the winter room for the evening and we here are all over the moon that you have graced us with your presence."

The girl couldn't have been more than 15 with that voice, yet she spoke with the practice of the seasoned professional. The words she said seemed covered in riddles, and in a better mood Gaara would have been intrigued to discover them all. Yet, tonight that was not so; so he simply asked, "Jack Rabbit?"

"Suits you does it not?" The girl smiled, grabbing a lantern and leaded them through the courtyard and to the private rooms towards the back of the villa.

"We have many dignitaries as yourself visit The Lucky Rabbit, as well as military war heroes, great heirs and heiresses, celebrities, and criminal masterminds. Discretion is a common thread among our patrons so there are no names here. Only titles of fantasy and nature. It would ruin a rather lovely night for many of our guests if a potential business partner of a CEO is here and wants to avoid them. Or a lord's mistress and his wife are found out." She turned towards Gaara with a Cheshire grin as they turned a corner to cross a small bridge over a pond.

"We do not judge at the lucky rabbit but even still we were happy to find the desert jack rabbit in our midst. Only our most auspicious patrons are given the title of rabbit, such as the white rabbit you are meeting here." She paused in front of a door that had two ANBU disguised to look like employees in front of the door.

"Your cherry blossom is waiting for you along with a sloth and a jumping spider. The fox and his blackbird went for a walk in the gardens but will return before the first course. If you need anything at all simply place the lantern at the door and someone will be with you shortly." She bowed handing the kazekage the red lantern and turning to open the door.

Kankuro, ever the flirt tipped his head out as she went to leave asking, "And if we want you who do we ask for."

With a grin that seemed to tell more than it should she replied smoothly. "Silly Tarantula, I am nothing but a red herring." And with that she left and the two sand siblings returned their attention to the room.

Sakura was happily enjoying the tea and small snacks provided for them in the room decorated to resemble a snowy winter forest. She was passively chatting with Temari and Shikamaru over a movie she wanted to see when the two brothers entered the room. Noticing Kankuro first she saw that without his normal coverings he had grown out his hair, and the sandy brown locks were more suited to the length and framed his strong features nicely. He was still heavily covered in black but it seemed more formal, more traditional. It was what she expected of the red head when she turned her head and nearly gasped.

His face was half covered by a sheer red scarf, making the jade of his eyes pop alongside pale skin. The scarves continued in elegant reds and golds pooling down his neck and collar and water falling over his left arm. A few were caught in place by a leather arm band and Sakura went to see the matching one on his right when she caught it. A muscular forearm led to defined biceps absolutely covered in tribal markings that resembled the marks from Shukaku. She had apparently let her control slip as she gaped at the intricate tattoo as Temari commented,

"I take it you didn't see that Gaara decided to leave a piece of Shukaku with him. This year will be the 10th anniversary of Shukaku's extraction you know."

Fixing her face Sakura nodded slowly as she thought about all that had happened since she had taken down Sasori of the red sand, and how it almost seemed fitting that he would come back into her life now.

"I see, well it's a lovely work. Suna tattoo artists must be commended for marking the kazekage in a way few shinobi have had the opportunity to."

Kankuro chuckled at the joke and the two brother's sat in the comfort of family and friends. "What Gaara will never tell you is he found the prettiest of women to do the work. The girl had probably never harmed a fly and here she was stabbing the Kazekage with a needle a thousand or so times."

"Who stabbed Gaara a thousand times?" Mentioned a distinctly loud voice as a yellow blob entered the room. Noticing Gaara's bare shoulder the ninja put two and two together and did a double take himself. "Whoa, Gaara you got that done and didn't tell me? It's sick. I would get one too but to be honest I don't have the patience to sit that long." He chuckled sending a hand through his hair before sitting.

"It has been some time Naruto. We will have to catch up while I am free from discussing things with Kakashi." He nodded, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Yeah, speaking of Kakashi-sensei where is he? Is it like a precursor to being a Kage if you're late all the time?" The blond groaned to the snickers of the red head's siblings.

"Boy if you only knew." Kankuro teased earning a glare from his younger brother.

"I don't think Gaara could be on time if he was threatened with his life." Temari added with a face flushed from trying to hold back giggles.

"You would think that wouldn't be the case since he can teleport with sand though, right?" And that small burst of what they later realized was an actual question, but at the moment seemed like a scathing burn from Hinata Uzumaki forced everyone, including Gaara to a small degree, into uncontrollable laughs.

Kakashi entered in the midst of that, a smile seen slightly through his mask as he popped his head in. "Ah, sorry I'm late but you all seem to be having a good time." Stepping in fully the Hokage took a good look around the room before landing on the still scarped Kazekage. "Gaara, it seems that we are matching today. If that isn't a sign that the meetings of collaboration won't work out well then I'm not quite sure what will."

—-

AN:

Inshallah - God Willing

Min sijak- seriously?!

I prepped both of these with the mindset that I envision Suna to be a modern day interpretation of 1001 Arabian nights. Tradition demons warriors and strong women felt very suna. So modern day Agrabah I thought would speak Arabic. All my actual speakers let me know what you think.


	5. Chapter 5

The dinner went as well as could be expected. Hinata, in all her proper Hyuuga training, was actually able to do a beautiful dance about the Konoha legend of their white rabbit. Sakura and Kakashi sang the roles of the two main characters to the sand siblings surprise. Sakura's voice light and airy soprano and Kakashi's a smooth lower Tenor. Shikamaru was made by his mother to do drum lessons for several years and played an excellent accompaniment, despite his reluctant acceptance to play the role.

The story went simply as a rabbit that had fur blacker than night wished to be noticed by a lady love of his. He would run and skip and hop higher and higher to try and get her to notice him. However, because of his coloring, he simply blended into the night sky and went on as nothing special to the lady rabbit. One night the black rabbit jumped so high that he caught the attention of the moon. The moon, feeling for the poor hare, blessed him with snow white fur, and his lady rabbit noticed him immediately. Many baby rabbits later the white rabbit was getting on in years and was too old to hop as he once could.

The moon called to him one night saying, "My leaping rabbit. Jump for me. Jump high as you did when we met. Jump into my arms." However, the rabbit was too old. "I am in pain." He said, "I cannot jump high as that anymore. Ask my sons or my daughters. Their fur is just as white, their leaps just as high as mine were." But the moon didn't want them. She wanted her rabbit. "Try my leaping rabbit, try one last time and I will take your pain away." So, as it was the moon herself that granted him his wish and led him to a happy, long life, the white rabbit jumped. He jumped high into the sky and into the moon herself. His image, his original black coloring can still be seen in the moon today.

With applause and congrats to all who performed, (And loud cheering from Naruto) dinner was served and light conversation was had till after dessert. This left the delegation from Suna to provide the closing entertainment for the evening.

What was most surprising to the leaf was the Suna contribution of entertainment. Temari played a version of a mandolin that was native to Suna, with Kankuro doing a simple puppet show. Gaara, as the narrator of the story, told the leaf shinobi the tale of the oasis of the moon. With his sand, he produced the sets of the puppets, his deep baritone a dynamic measure of his ability to capture the room.

"An oasis in the desert is considered a miracle, an anomaly and a sign of good fortune in rough times. However, there is one oasis in the desert that is considered the master of all. It has no set location. No man or woman has ever put it on the map and only those on the brink of death have even come across it. That is until one traveler figured out the secret of this oasis. He asked every traveler he knew had encountered it details. How they only ever found it at night. How by the morning they were suddenly much closer to their home than they know they could be. How when they tried to find the mysterious plants and fruits it provided there was nothing like it. That no matter how hard they tried it couldn't be found again.

The traveler searched for years for this desert beauty. Spotting it when he was near death and cursing it when the oasis seemed to disappear from sight the moment he went to sleep. It wasn't until he was mugged and heavily injured by bandits did the oasis allow him to take longer refuge in her domain.

It was one night, the traveler, who was soon to die of blood loss, spotted a woman tending to his wound. He had to be hallucinating. What woman would be dumb enough to be way out here in the desert? The traveler tried to focus on the woman when he realized she seemed so familiar. Her hair was the exact same color of the untouched sand, seeming like if she were to lay down on the floor of the desert she would perfectly blend in. Her eyes were the same aquamarine as the cooling waters of the pool of the oasis. Her lips, a beautiful pink that so resembled the strange fruit the oasis provided. He sat up suddenly, ignoring the pain of his injuries as he shouted out.

"You are my oasis, I have been searching for you. Why must you be so cold and avoid me?" Sitting him down and beginning to redress the wound she sighed. "Because you curse at me, you do stupid things just to make me come to you and you are far too demanding. You would think if you were any kind of suitor you would have been a bit better behaved."

"Suitor?" The traveler asked, looking at the woman who had been his obsession for years, even if he only knew she was a woman at all for five minutes.

"Yes, mother and father wish to retire and they think it's time to marry. I'm ready to stop wandering myself and plant some roots. However, I have yet to find a proper suitor. Despite your faults you've bested every challenge father throws at you."

The traveler waited till she had wrapped up his leg before asking as he checked her work. "So then, who's your father?"

"The desert," She replied as if it was obvious. "And my mother is the moon. They gave me a human form so they could connect and see what the world has changed too since they roamed the earth.

The traveler was stunned. It seemed only fitting that his beautiful, enchanting, elusive, oasis was, in fact, a woman. His obsession soon seemed to be a fitting courtship and he soon knelt down in front of the woman. "Then Let me court you properly." The traveler said. "I have wanted nothing more than to know your secrets. It seems only fitting that I could only be granted that as your husband."

And so she agreed. It took many years, The traveler faced many trials from the harsh climate of the desert or the ever watchful gaze of the moon. Eventually. She agreed to marry him, and the oasis finally planted roots. Their children begat others and then the small oasis bloomed into a village, which bloomed into a city, which bloomed into the sprawling nation known as the village hidden in the sand.

Suna's core is intact an underwater spring system. That even in the biggest droughts has never run dry. And to this day when a kazekage is trialed for the throne, he must master the desert, and find the elusive oasis with the pink fruit."

Shocking everyone Gaara pulled out a tiny pink object that looked like a peach. He then sliced the fruit in equal parts and handed it to the guests from the leaf.

"Wait, hold up that story was real?" Naruto asked in awe as he quickly devoured the slice and relished in its sweet refreshing juices.

"The oasis is. When Gaara wanted to be Kazekage he actually laughed at the challenge and in less than two days he brought back a bushel of fruit. He'd been going to that oasis since he was ten." Kankuro chuckled, patting his baby brother on the back.

Gaara blushed slightly at his brother's praise but nodded. "When sand protects you and you can't sleep. A nighttime oasis isn't exactly beyond your wheelhouse. "

Nodding Kakashi agreed before standing up to dismiss the event. "That was a lovely exchange and while I'm sure we could all stay till dawn catching up, some of us have councils to deal with in the morning." He groaned slightly, glancing at Gaara.  
"Sakura, will you escort the Kazekage and his party to his accommodations for this journey, please? The rest of us I assume will be fine adjourning on our own." Kakashi added before bowing and turning to leave. His team of ANBU following him out the door.

Naruto then stood up, looking around to the party before suggesting, "Fifteen minutes to change into normal clothes and then meeting up for drinks at the Shadow Shuriken?"

The group nodded in agreement, the bar a regular spot for the shinobi and one easy enough to travel to after they all went to their respective homes. Kankuro made a motion to head over to Temari's as he had a spare set of clothes there and her home at the Nara Compound was much closer to the bar than the Villa the Sand siblings were currently staying at.

This left Sakura alone with Gaara for the second time this evening, walking him to his home.

They at first walked in relative silence, avoiding the crowd of the evening to the best of their ability until a rambunctious teenager nearly ran into Sakura. Gaara placed a hand on her shoulder and saved her dress from being sullied by any fall or scuffle that would have happened.

Looking up at the kazekage she smiled softly, noting his hand before choosing to ignore it. "Thanks, I think I'd die if something happened to this kimono. I don't have a Kage salary to keep me in designer clothes year round." She chuckled and her eyes lit up at the small eye roll he gave her in a concession to her statement being founded in truth.

"It's nothing Sakura, and you don't have to escort me. You have to change clothes yourself and it isn't like I don't know my way around the city by now." He teased, moving his hand to place it on the small her back as they walked together. A small reminder of how possessive he actually was, even when he didn't mean to be.

"I can't exactly betray a direct order from the Hokage now can I? Even if I know you know your way back blindfolded I am your aide this week and I will see that you are escorted and protected fairly." However, she did lead them in a pathway that stopped by her place so she wouldn't have to backtrack to change clothes.

Noticing this spot, as their friend group had stopped at Sakura's home a few times he mused, leaning lightly in her ear saying, "Now now Kunoichi, just because you are escorting me doesn't mean I don't see that you're trying to take me home. We only have fifteen minutes and I'd rather not be so brief with you."

Blushing rather fiercely, Sakura turned to glare at him before seeing his soft smile gracing his features. It seemed just slightly mischievous and she would have to ask Sai if he had been spending any time in Suna with the way Gaara appeared.

Seeing that his words were a success Gaara simply grasped her hand and placed it gently to his lips. "Another time then perhaps? You look stunning tonight Sakura. I'll give you plenty of time to wow me again at the bar. I won't tell Kakashi if you won't that you didn't walk me all the way home." Leaning into her again he was so close she could feel the curl of his lip twist up as he smiled before adding, "I may even take you home with me tonight anyway."

Without another word, he stepped away and disappeared in his familiar flurry of sand; making Sakura both embarrassed and flustered beyond compare. Gaara was always a wordsmith and could have her practically melting before him. It was no surprise that when he wanted to he could turn those same gifts into a powerful weapon. What was she going to do when they were going to add drinking and dancing to the equation?

Notes:

Flashback next chapter. You can see a bit of their past and how they were and are a bit more. I can't wait for it to get juicy. I love most eligible bachelor alive Sabuku no Gaara.


	6. Chapter 6

Dancing, music, and nightlife were something foreign and gently tread in the leaf. They were daytime people. The idea of a nightclub was one thought that brought giggles and whispers to even the most seasoned of patrons. This was still the mindset of Sakura as she walked into the bar with her ripped civilian jeans and red halter top. It was her standard outfit to the Shadow Shuriken and she smiled at her friends and the corner table they had procured. A few more of the rookie nine had come to join them and Sakura quickly went to give Ino a well-deserved hug hello and wave to a slightly over covered Hinata that were the guards of their table.

"Forehead you made it. What took you so long? Naruto and I just ordered shots for everyone so we're going to have a blast. No being a wet blanket tonight ok? You owe me." She teased twirling a finger around one of Sakura's still curled locks. She had let down her hair for the evening and the efforts of Ino's work still shown through.

"Yes, yes calm down Ino Pig. And where are the boys and Temari? Naruto doesn't smoke so he at least wouldn't be gone outside." Sakura asked and seemingly on cue they popped up with drinks in hand, Sai in tow as the group soon filled up the table.

Smoothly Gaara handed her a Gin and Tonic with lime as he sipped his own whiskey on the rocks with a smile. With the distraction of him buying her a drink she was fully able to span her gaze up and down his body. The expensive jeans hugging his long legs and the black dress shirt he wore clung to his well-defined muscles, rolled up to his elbows so that just the tips of his tattoo could be shown.

"You remembered my drink?" She asked, taking a small sip and grinning at the fact that he even chose a brand of gin she enjoyed.

"It wasn't hard to remember your standard order. But I still think the choices are better in Suna." He chided her while handing his siblings their drinks and grinning seeing the trio that included Shikamaru had returned from the smoking section. Leaning in close enough to her ear he added, "You remember how much better Suna nightclubs are don't you Sakura?"

—

Suna nightlife was an entirely different beast. Sakura had visited once during Gaara's 18th birthday and Temari had taken them all out to a night of club hopping and drinking. The night had started innocently enough. The trio had begun their evening watching belly dancing and eating traditional cuisine. The royal sand siblings seemed to be almost bored with the ordeal but Sakura had no shame in playing the role of the foreign tourist and ate up every dish and performance with glee and gusto. Taking note at how every woman seemed to fall at their young kazekage's feet while the now of age in Suna man was seemingly trying to ignore every female presence around that wasn't his sister or Sakura herself.

After the third venue, the young kazekage actually let out a sigh which for some reason seemed to be code for the group to politely leave the 'official' festivities and head out to a more casual birthday celebration.

What surprised Sakura the most was that the group had found themselves in a convenience store. As Sakura was about to ask a question, Temari held up a hand and walked up to the man at the counter.

Smiling widely and using more seductive techniques than Sakura even knew Temari possessed the blonde asked. "Can I get a pack of Camel's and two bottles of desert oasis?" Looking up at their group the cashier tiredly remarked. "We don't sell those here." Gaara walked up, clearly out of patience for the game and added. "Cassim told me you just got some in stock. Mind if we check the back?" He smirked and the cashier seemingly realized who he was talking to. Quickly pressing a button one of the doors of a drink shelf opened up and Sakura could suddenly hear the booming bass of an underground nightclub.

"Where are we?" She asked before Kankuro grabbed her arm and led them all down the stairs. "Listen pinky I know you're foreign and all but you can't act like such a tourist. Most clubs in Suna are underground anyway and this shouldn't be a surprising thing for the most well-known nightclubs."

Temari added in with a chuckle as they turned a corner, "What he means is don't look a fool and get us kicked out of the most exclusive nightclub in the city. Gaara even has to put on a show to have his way here." She teased her baby brother with a jab.

"It's why I like this place." The young kazekage added with a small grin as the group came to see plush pillows and couches. An area of people smoking the most divine smelling hookah. A bar that seemed to be pounding out drinks at an alarming rate and a dance floor that was positively overflowing with people.

Patting Sakura's and Temari's shoulders Kankuro yelled out. "I'll get us drinks; Gaara see if you can be the kazekage and get us a table?" He laughed, before running off to be the imposing and scary man she had met in her first chunin exams.

Looking around the room and simultaneously feeling overdressed and underdressed in her simple black cocktail dress she looked at Temari and Gaara. "Wait he didn't even ask me what I wanted. What is he getting you guys?" Chuckling Temari shook her head as Gaara seemingly spotted someone and the trio began walking. "Don't worry leaf girl. Kankuro will set you up nicely. The liquor is better here than in fire anyway." She teased holding back as Gaara seemed to walk up to a man in a very expensive looking suit. Sakura wouldn't believe it at first but Gaara seemed to smile, and laugh freely with the larger man next to him. Nodding and looking over to herself and Temari the two walked over to them and the stranger started.

"Hello, Temari, pleasure as always to see you again." He grinned, and while handsome his smile was Sakura couldn't help but feel wary of it.

"Cassim, so great to see you again. I'm sure you knew we had to visit for Gaara's birthday." The blond woman responded, and if Sakura wasn't mistaken there seemed to be a hint of malice in her words.

"Of Course. I'll have to put the package in my best VIP booth. Anything you need is yours tonight. It would be my pleasure. I owe this place to Gaara. The little squirt." Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Did someone just openly insult Gaara, and was Gaara allowing it? Seeing her face Cassim chuckled before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Looks like your little girlfriend doesn't know about your past team eh Gaara? I've known the kid since he was knee-high to a jackrabbit. We were on over a dozen missions together back in the day."

Gaara nodded before adding. "The squad we were on has since been disbanded. Those in it were either redistributed or have retired." Cassim nodded once before showing the group to their cabana Esq section of the club. Relaxing comfortably Sakura sat next to Gaara looking on as Temari and Cassim went off to dance.

"I can't tell if those two like or hate each other." Sakura murmured mostly to herself.

"Temari used to date his younger brother," Gaara added, giving her a glance before moving to look at the crowd.

"Oh and then they broke up?" Sakura offered before noticing Gaara's head shake of no.

"He died." He responded simply; thoroughly ruining Sakura's mood and increasing her gratitude to Kankuro as he walked up with four cloudy looking drinks, hers having a few herbs she soon recognized as sage and basil in it.

"Drink up pinky. This stuff is basically the Suna national drink and if you're gonna kick it with us you better learn to take it." Kankuro teased before cheersing the trio's drink and sipping the on the rocks version he and Gaara had.

The drink was simple enough, but the creamy consistency blended well with the spices and sooner rather than later it was empty. Gaara noticed her empty drink first and leaned in to say, "I'll get you another." Moving to shake her head to protest Gaara simply added, "It's bad luck to have an empty drink before the end of the night." And without another moment he went up to the bar, leaving her alone. Kankuro had just left to go impress some girl in a very short skirt and Temari was off dancing with a group of girls she vaguely remembers being Suna shinobi.

It was Cassim that spotted the solo Sakura and walked up towards her, a much softer smile on his face.

"How are you enjoying my club?" He asked and Sakura smiled and nodded eagerly before responding,

"Oh, it's great. There's nothing quite like this at all in the leaf. I'm really glad I'm here at the moment." She nodded looking around for the spot of red.

"Gaara is a great guy. He's really grown into a good man." He had started; remembering the girlfriend comment Sakura shook her hands to clear things up.

"Oh no, we're not." Interrupting her Cassim stood and chuckled.

"Oh, I see the way you look at him kunoichi. Snatch him up while you can. He'll keep surprising you. And he's not one to disappoint. Trust me, I had him as an 11-year-old member of an elite strike team." Without another word he left into the crowd and left Sakura alone, again.

"What is it with Suna people and their dramatic exits?" She questioned swirling the ice cubes in her glass around.

"We like to make an impact." Gaara chuckled before handing her another drink and sitting comfortably. "The bar waiters know our order so they'll just keep them coming under my tab." He added before siping his drink lightly and relaxing to the beat of the music.

Sakura had drunk about two and a half more of the mysterious cocktails and the bass of the music was starting to be felt more than heard. swaying slightly she saw out of the corner of her eye a hand placed in front of her.

Looking up and seeing that it was Gaara who, while not looking at her, held his hand out to her. "Come on, I like this song too." Was he? No, it was absolutely impossible. Sabuku no Gaara was asking her to dance. Shaking her head and quickly taking his hand at this once in a lifetime opportunity, the two stood up and the young Kazekage led them down to the dance floor.

Sakura fully expected him to be timid and unsure. Yet, as Gaara never seemed to be timid or unsure in anything he did she shouldn't be surprised. Nevertheless, it still surprised her as she felt his hands confidently place themselves on her hips. Closing her eyes the Kunoichi felt the sway of the music and moved with it.

Eventually getting more comfortable being in such close proximity Sakura turned to have her back facing him, letting out a silent gasp as she felt him pull her close to him, feeling the lines of his chest through the simple black tee shirt he wore under his jacket; long abandoned in the heat of the nightclub.

Sakura had lost herself to the music and was only barely aware of his voice as she felt the warmth of his breath on her neck. Turning towards him slightly to better read his lips she got a good look at him and nearly lost herself again.

His bright red locks were lightly sweaty, longer pieces sticking to his forehead that seemed to only intensify those jade orbs of his. Trying to focus, Sakura turned her gaze to his lips to read whatever question he was asking her before she saw his lips. They were this perfect pink color and they seemed so soft. She was barely conscious of her actions, and to this day she denies that she was anywhere near a clear headspace, because Sakura Haruno, of her own fruition, had just kissed Sabuko no Gaara.

She could only stare at him in a blush. He paused only for a moment before placing a hand to her cheek. Leaning in, he stopped just shy of her lips and waited; giving her that one last moment of escape before he dived in proper and ravished her.

His free hand was wrapped up in her hip, and when she pulled apart her lips felt swollen and bruised and she knew she was dazed but honestly, she really didn't care. Who the hell taught Gaara to kiss like that? Seeing him come close to her she froze, only to relax when his lips went to her ear to speak.

"Not what I had in mind when I asked if you were thirsty but I'll take it."

—-

Sakura blushed slightly at the memory and hid her thoughts with a slow sip of her drink. "You know I think Suna nightclubs are just different This place is better for talking though right?"

Gaara chuckled and turned to Naruto to greet him fondly. The blond had a beer in his hand and the two quickly began to catch up on the time spent apart. Sighing Sakura reclaimed her spot next to Ino and her blond best friend raised an eyebrow.

"What's with you and Gaara? You two seem pretty off recently? Actually ever since the war, you've been treating him really strange."

Sakura's eyes widened a fraction of an inch at her statement, Not wanting to go into any real details of the nature of her and Gaara's past she simply shrugged.

"There's nothing going on. I just have to be a bit warier since I'm on a mission to watch over Gaara, not as he needs it though." Sakura covered and moved to sip her drink.

"Yeah, he's really filled out these last couple years. Plus Hinata told me that he hasn't gotten a girlfriend since the whole fiancé fiasco. It's really too bad that didn't work out. After the war Gaara made Suna super rich, he's still crazy powerful and Shikamaru says he's super smart. Like it's crazy how different he and Naruto are." Nodding in agreement, Sakura went to sip another drink before coughing at Ino's suggestion,

"Maybe you should fuck him and see if he's good at that too?"

"Wait, Ino where the hell did that come from?" Sakura asked wiping her mouth and shaking her head at her friend suggesting such a thing out loud.

"I'm just saying forehead. He's single, rich, smart, powerful, and you clearly have something going on. Maybe a little sex is all you need to relax and figure out where you two need to be in life." Sipping on her martini Esq Ino turned to face Hinata and chat leaving Sakura and her thoughts.

Maybe if I had never had sex with him in the first place we wouldn't be in this predicament.


	7. Chapter 7

Sakura could barely look at Gaara after their first kiss in that nightclub. Which, for some reason, seemed only to amuse the young Kazekage. He at least did not inform his siblings of her thoughtless actions which she felt eternally grateful for. The other two of the sand siblings were pleasantly surprised at Sakura's ability to 'hang' as the puppet master commented and determined that she was always welcomed in Suna and that Gaara better request her more so they could have proper drinking buddies.

Strangely enough in the seven months that happened between Gaara's 18th birthday and the beginning of the war she saw quite a bit of the sand siblings. Whenever she was in their village they would always get her wildly drunk and she would do something personally stupid that sober Sakura would never do. Whereas when they were in Konoha they were always welcome and the quartet often went out to dinner or tea and simply caught up. She became close friends with the Sabuku family and it allowed her a home away from home. It also allowed her to have a certain level of intimacy with the Kazekage that Sakura was proud to have, even if he did tease her on it from time to time.

"Sakura?" Gaara asked at the breakfast table. The trio, herself and Shikamaru were sitting comfortably in the ease of a morning off from organizing the Chunin exams that were to be had in Suna this year.

"Hmm?" She asked, peering up at him from her cup of coffee that she had just poured.

"Are you leaving your clothes in my bathroom because you intend to leave a set in Suna, or were you in that much of a rush to get to bed last night that you just forget them?"

His flippant comment sent the normally easy-going Shikamaru into someone whose attention was positively wrapt.

"Pervert." Sakura teased back at him earning a shocked look from his siblings. "Listen, don't gentlemanly offer your shower because my bathroom is being renovated then act as if I slept at your place in the presence of my teammate." Sakura also kindly left out the fact that her teammate was sleeping with his sister.

"If being a slob is a cultural thing in Konoha I apologize. Naruto is certainly not a big proponent of having a clean space. I simply assumed you were different." She chuckled at that retort, earning confused looks all around.

"I do apologize. In my rush not to abuse your hospitality, I must have forgotten an item or two. I'll pick them up sometime today whenever you're free." She grinned at her friend and resumed the light breakfast his chef had prepared for those in the kazekage living quarters.

That type of banter began to happen more and more with the two of them. So much so that she seriously believed she gave a few members of his council a heart attack when she accused him of being a conceited tankuni brat. (He quietly called her a brazen pastel Konoha bitch when they were private and the two had a good laugh.)

It was Temari that suspected them being something more first. Sakura had just had a shower and was in the living room reading a medical textbook when the elder Kunoichi walked in. She had taken to a bad habit of biting her hair and took a deep inhale as she realized her hair smelled like Gaara's from using his shampoo.

"You know you might as well just start sleeping in his room. It's not like he uses it himself." Looking up from her textbook Sakura gave Temari an incredulous look.

"Temari I have no idea what you are talking about? I left a shirt in his bathroom one time." Not impressed by the retort, Temari raised an eyebrow at the pinkette.

"Alright let's start with that. He lets you use his bathroom. You get away with calling him names that have had lesser people killed, and for a lot less. You two have your little inside jokes and honestly, I'm tired of playing dumb. I don't know if Gaara is redoing his whore faze all over again or you're stringing him along but I'm telling you first as a friend. Stop it. I know first hand that if you're not serious about this then it isn't worth it."

Sakura put down the textbook and looked at the elder woman genuinely. Temari knew first hand how hard a long distance relationship was. Gaara was always bound to Suna and Sakura never saw herself anywhere but Konoha. From Temari's side it looked like it was destined for failure; something she couldn't handle for her little brother. Someone that Sakura felt was still a little fragile in the love department.

"Temari, we honestly haven't done anything. I like Gaara and we're good friends so I won't be so naive to think we may not do something stupid, but I'll promise you this. If we ever decide to do anything of note we'll talk about it. Seriously discuss what it means. I promise."

Seemingly satisfied with that response Temari nodded and added. "That's all I ask Sakura. We love you here honestly. I don't want things to crack unless they really need to."

Sakura slept in Gaara's room three nights later.

In her defense, they did not have sex. Temari and Shikamaru were going out for 'drinks' and Kankuro had a date. The two were left in the house alone and after a quiet dinner, they were reading on the couch. Sakura finished up her textbook and sighed.

"This book keeps referencing another so much that I feel it would be much more beneficial to just read the source material."

Looking up from a bit of office work the kazekage leaned over to see the aforementioned book that Sakura was talking about. "I have that book in my personal collection if you would like to read it."

Sakura's eyes lit up at the idea and grinned widely. "The kazekage's private library. Are you sure I have clearance for something like that?" Chuckling Gaara rolled his eye and went to stand.

"I'm pretty sure the woman who brought two-thirds of the Suna royal family back from the dead can read any book she damn well pleases." He smirked and motioned for her to follow him to his room.

The kazekage room was inherited and more like a set of quarters. When Gaara ascended to the title of kazekage he had quite a few renovations done to suit his needs and wipe as much of Rasa's personality from it as possible.

The first room that was entered was seemingly a sitting or green room. A few couches, a coffee table, and some bookshelves. "I think I have this in my bedroom. It covers flowers that I needed for a specific land treaty and I don't think I brought it back.

Opening a set of screen doors Sakura witnessed the innermost quarters of the kazekage mansion. Gaara still didn't sleep most nights, but he was getting better and as such there was a lightly used bed. What was more prominent was the vast array of comfortable chairs and pillows that were around the large room. Spotting a guitar snuggled in the corner of the room between to a window sill and Gaara's personal cacti collection, Sakura's curiosity got the better of her and she walked towards it.

"You play?" She asked touching the light sandy color of the acoustic guitar.

Gaara nodded after looking up from an end table stacked with books to see what she meant. Walking over to the instrument he picked it up and smirked. "Yes, among many other instruments. I am partial to the guitar though. Both my mother and uncle used to play. I'm self-taught mostly but my uncle he… he taught me the basics as a child." Pausing softly as if he recalled a bitter memory his fingers ran over the strings.

"Would you play me something?" Sakura nearly whispered out. Seeing this side of Gaara felt like a secret bit of information more valuable and better hidden than anything the five shinobi nations could have. After a moment of pause, he nodded and motioned for them to take a seat in a collection of pillows strewn along the floor in front of a large tapestry.

Tuning the guitar slightly he strummed a few chords at random, seemingly to let the instrument decide what he would play. Licking his lips lightly he started singing softly and thoroughly shocking Sakura with the smooth tenor of his voice.

" _Brave men tell the truth, the wise man's tools are analogies and puzzles; the woman holds her tongue, knowing silence will speak for her."_

His fingers danced along the frets like dragonflies along a Lilly pod. Gaara was good. Better than Sakura anticipated and she was greatly pleased with this new discovery.

 _"Who'll remind, who'll remind, who'll remind me? Who'll remind, who'll remind, who'll remind me?"_

He continued the song gracefully, a few hums and words uttered until he got to the chorus again, his voice clearer and stronger than Sakura could have ever imagined Gaara's singing voice could be; not that she could have imagined him singing at all. He finished with a flourish and the Kunoichi clapped enthusiastically, her smile genuine at the private performance he gave her.

"Wow, I-I'm shocked. You play and you sing?" Blushing lightly Gaara used his sand to put up the guitar, and he looked away as he replied with, "Temari and Kankuro are the only ones who have ever seen me play. This is one of Kankuro's favorite songs. He's actually the better singer of the two of us."

"And Temari?" Sakura questioned wondering if the sand siblings weren't just legends on the battlefield but also musical virtuosos as well. However, Gaara's small grimace told her that the singing trait stayed with the men in the family.

"She plays a beautiful flute. Better than my skills. I'm better with string instruments and Kankuro plays better piano than the both of us. We all know about three to four instruments a piece I just have more time to practice." Nodding she felt like her civilian knowledge was a little lacking. Seeing this change in her facial features Gaara added.

"Not like we had much of a choice, it's expected for us to be well-rounded individuals and had the fourth kazekage lived into our adulthood, whoever was not made successor would have to have been prepped to be a good marriage to some noble family for a treaty."

Honestly even the successor is still a marriage cow the kazekage thought, and Gaara scowled lightly at the reminder of his council's increased mentions of his marriage potential now that he had become of age.

"I take it you're not a big fan of continuing that policy?" Sakura asked lightly placing a gentle hand on top of his. Looking down Gaara smiled and nodded, "Yeah, as long as I can avoid it and I sure as hell won't be arranging any marriages for my older siblings."

"Good." Sakura grinned as she stood up walking over to the guitar and holding it up to him. " 'Cause you're going to need all the time you can get if you're going to teach me how to play."

Raising a nonexistent eyebrow Gaara relaxed considerably and asked, "Oh am I?" Sitting beside him and nodded the pinkette responded,

"Yep, doctor's orders. Teaching someone to play an instrument is very good for one's health."

Pulling her in close and having Sakura release a yelp as she and the guitar landed in the kazekage's lap he responded. "Well if it's what the doctor prescribed I suppose I don't really have a choice."

The two laughed and while in his lap Gaara showed Sakura where her fingers should go and how to play two chords. His fingers were gentle as he placed her properly, relaxing her wrist and adjusting her posture to hold the guitar correctly.

"Try those two." He whispered in her ear. The heat of his breath tickled Sakura's neck and she couldn't help a shudder run down her spine. Nevertheless, she did as told and smiled as the two chords rang out, a little choppy but correct all the same.

The two played for a bit then at some point the guitar was put up for chatting and relaxation. Movies they had seen and curiosities about what the other nations would bring to the Suna hosted chunin exams. Sakura had long been comfortable at Gaara's side so she wasn't surprised she fell asleep on one of the large pillows. What surprised her most was when she awoke just before dawn and saw a peacefully snoozing redhead next to her.

When Gaara slept he seemed almost peaceful, his features relaxed so she could take in the more delicate aspects of his body. His chin, once thin and nearly feminine had sharpened with the loss of his baby fat. Cheeks similarly were now defined. His hair had grown some and the wild locks curled around ears that she was surprised to notice were pierced. Recalling that they had been pierced since their initial meeting she found it now almost amusing to know that a seated Kage would have body piercings.

Staring at that so iconic scar Sakura couldn't help herself but touch the skin around it and feel the smooth, almost tattoo like nature of it. Running a gentle hand along his jawline she stopped at a set of pink plump lips. Brushing her thumb over the corner of one she gasped softly at how amazingly soft they were.

"Never ceases to surprise me." She whispered and leaned in, lightly pressing her lips to his. Gaara at this point had woken up, but not one to stop such fond touches he simply grinned and pulled her in close. Returning the kiss with a bit more fever.

"Some wakeup call. Can I request you every morning?" He purred, daring to open his eyes and take a peek at the flustered Kunoichi in his arms.

"I don't know I'm quite expensive." She chuckled attempting lightly to remove herself from his arms only for him to pull her in and adjust them both to a comfortable position.

"I think I can work something out. Suna has many great resources and I have on good word a pretty good guitar teacher."

"Oh?" She chuckled residing to spend a few more moments in his arms. "Well, in that case, I think we could work something out."

"Nothing too serious then, I'll just give him a call and we'll see how that goes?" He chuckled running a set of fingers through her hair.

"Yeah, we'll call it by ear." Sakura nodded against his chest. That counted as talking about it right? Temari could say that they talked about it, and if she lost herself to one of her more carnal desires, well… Sakura never said that she would never go there."

Sakura never expected that moment would happen on the battlefield.

AN: The song is my mind's interpretation of an acoustic rendition of Remind Me by Royksopp


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura was woken from her trip down memory lane oddly enough by a new song from a band that she and her illustrious redhead enjoyed. That song was paired with a comment from the near-always soft-spoken Hinata.

"Is Gaara-san mouthing the words?" Also noticing Hinata's statement, Ino whipped her head around to gaze at the foreign kage.

"Oh, my word he is! I know he's our age and all but it seems so, so, beneath _Gaara_ to listen to popular music." Sakura couldn't help but smirk at Ino's statement; earning a raised eyebrow from both girls.

"You two don't know that this band is from Suna? Gaara sponsored them to represent the Wind Country in a music competition or something. They blew up after. Gaara has like permanent VIP passes."

Seeing the shocked look from the two girls the pinkette added, "He never uses them so if you wanna see them in concert just ask him."

Not one to pass up on meeting a celebrity, Ino stood up to weasel her way into concert passes from one of the biggest bands across the five nations.

"You seem to know a lot about Gaara-san, Sakura-chan. It's nice to know you two are such good friends." Hinata responded once the two were alone.

 _Were the two good friends?_ Sakura thought with a grimace. If Hinata had said that two years ago then the answer would have been a resounding yes. However, after the war, they had drifted to barely acquaintances. Their past and their combined circle of friends keeping them closer than they had a current right to be.

"You don't look so good Sakura-chan. Maybe you should head home. Naruto and I will take Gaara-san home." Sakura tried to protest, mostly upset that Hinata always seemed to be so perceptive.

"No, I'm fine honestly, just the gin hit me a little hard. I should have eaten more starch at The Lucky Rabbit." Naruto, having heard his name, walked over and after giving his wife a hug added to her claim.

"No worries Sakura-chan. You know how long Gaara and I talk when we catch up. We're likely to be up all night and I know you normally have a morning shift at the hospital right?" Sakura could only nod before sighing. When did Naruto get so mature?

"Yeah, thanks. Give Gaara and Kankuro my best and I'll see them at their midday break for lunch and everything." With a wave she caught the eyes of Kankuro notifying him she was leaving before stepping out of the bar and hearing the puppeteer's footsteps behind her.

"Hey, Pinky where you headed?" She turned towards a man that, in the ten years that had passed since she extracted a poison from his near-dead body, felt more and more like a brother to her than anyone else.

"Just home. Naruto had insisted on escorting Gaara home and as I have an early shift at the hospital I am in no position to refuse him." Nodding Kankuro gave a good look at her before ruffling her head and following her steps.

"What are you doing?" She asked giving him a confused once over.

"Walking you home. I know you're fine and you can easily handle yourself but it's late at night and I would be the worst scum of Suna men if I didn't walk you home." Sakura moved to protest when the older man added,

"Plus, Gaara would have my head if he found out I knew you were leaving and I didn't make sure you got home okay. I really don't want to hear his lip _before_ our morning meetings tomorrow. I know I'll hear it after the fact."

Sakura nodded before resigning in the comfortable silence and the light of the moon above them.

"You know, he never stopped caring about you. I can tell. Gaara's always been a protector. You never left the list of most important people, protect at all costs." Kankuro spoke, interrupting their quiet when they were nearly at her apartment.

"Kankuro." She started and he chuckled turning towards her.

"Just, you're always family with us. Whatever happened between you two is whatever. We don't abandon family and you saved my life, saved my brother's. Helped Suna dozens of times and I'm sure whenever Temari and Shikamaru settle down, both of their paranoid asses will demand you bring in my niece or nephew into the world." Stopping at her door she paused to tell him goodbye, words not yet coming.

"However, I will say I never saw either of you two happier than you guys were before the war. Now I'm not saying war doesn't change people because it does. I lost friends, allies, many brothers in arms. It changed me to see my father fighting for the enemy. I won't ask you to go back. I can't. Gaara sure can't. We're all different people but… doesn't mean we can't change together."

He turned around at that and it left Sakura feeling the hole that she knew was somewhere in her heart.

Walking up to her apartment proper, she looked at the many photographs on the wall of her living room. Her original photo of team 7. The redone version after the war with Sai and Yamato in the fold. Photos of Ino and Tenten and Hinata. Of Hinata and Naruto's wedding and of Shikamaru and Temari's. She even had a few of the sand siblings, However, it was one photo that she clung to.

Temari had found out Sakura had never seen a true Suna sunset; so the group went to the dunes to catch a good look over the desert. Unbeknownst to her Temari had taken a photo of her amazed at the pinks purples and oranges that covered the skies and Gaara had turned to her, a soft genuine smile on his face.

Rubbing her thumb along the frame she sighed. That was one of her last good moments before the war began. When their relationship rose to new heights and crashed to the rubble it existed today. It was her fault she'll admit but he was cruel to end their relationship so abruptly. Checking the calendar by the door she sighed. It was that anniversary too. She would have to grab some flowers before the week was out.

Sakura shook her head of such thoughts before moving to wash up and head to bed. She did indeed have an early day the next day at the hospital and she would need all the energy she could get.

—

If there was one thing that was true about the kunoichi, it was that Sakura loved being a doctor. It was something she could always rely on and was busy whether they were in times of peace or war. Now that the majority of shinobi had to adjust to a more civilian-friendly life, Sakura was happy to be able to have such a stable, lucrative career as medicine.

She was proud to have established a children's mental facility. One that had branches in several nations. She was truly becoming someone to rival Tsunade, and on her teacher's sporadic visits the blonde seemed equally pleased with Sakura's progress. Even now as more of a civilian surgeon she still had the stress and long hours of a shinobi in times before the war.

It was something Sakura could rely on. It was something Sakura had confidence in. It was something Sakura held on to as she walked towards the Hokage tower and saw the daughter of Askuna no Sasori standing guard in the meeting.

The brunette took one look at the other kunoichi and after a polite bow, she decided to ignore the pinkette's presence in the room. Despite the fact that Wisteria knew that Sakura would be their guide for the next week.

Standing by her, Sakura sighed in her thought process of having to live with the uncomfortable silence for the duration of the meeting when the kimono-clad shinobi quipped out.

"Just so we are clear, I don't like you and you are in no way good enough for Gaara-sama. I don't know what he sees in you and I will continue to only give you the respect demanded of you and _nothing_ more till you look more than a sloppy brash kunoichi that has a way with good luck."

Not one to be insulted in such a way, Sakura turned towards Wisteria and hissed in reply, "I don't trust you, I don't like you and I certainly have no issue with you being jealous over the relationship that Gaara and I have. _However,_ I will under no circumstances allow you to think I give any less than 100% of my full effort _and_ that I have deserved every single thing that I have been given.

Turning fully to face Sakura, Wisteria gave Sakura a slow once over before scoffing. "Ha, are you actually telling me that load of absolute nonsense? You're crass, you're brash, and while fit your body leaves much to be desired to what I know most men, including Gaara-sama, prefer. Your nails are a mess, your hair has split ends, you have wrinkles and never wear makeup. You don't try. How on earth am I supposed to look you in the face and believe you give 100% to everything you do when I can clearly see you don't even give yourself 50%? You have a kage's eyes on you. Heaven helps if you two actually were serious because if any proper lord, all the other Kage's wives, including your Hyuuga friend would take one look at you they would only have one word in their mind, _lesser."_ She paused moving to continue watching the door while her statement furthered.

"Stop kidding yourself and step into the game of looking like an adult woman. Just because you put your work first doesn't mean your look isn't part of it. I work 80 hours weeks with men who don't listen to a word I say. The only way I get an edge in is when they consider me pretty enough to capture their attention. You're delusional if you think medicine is any less of a man's world than politics are." She stopped after that. Clearly, her point had been made and as much as it angered Sakura, nothing she said was wrong.

The looks thing had always been Ino's territory. Something Sakura thought frivolous and separate from the books and smarts Sakura always prided herself on. However, the more that she thought about her shishou, or Ino, or even Hinata and how they always put in very delicate, meticulous care into their looks the more Sakura questioned these thoughts. Had Sakura been avoiding a vital part of kunoichi life just because of the shallow nature the pinkette associated it with? Wisteria was always impeccably put together and it carried such intimidation with it. Why did Sakura automatically think that her time and effort spent on her looks was a reflection on her intelligence when it could only be a result of her experience and talent. Obviously enough to have caught the eye of Gaara. Who notoriously didn't care for such things on a regular basis.

Sakura was angry, but over what? And furthermore, what could she possibly do to assist in that? Shaking her head to put aside such thoughts, Sakura stood at attention as the doors opened and the meeting filtered out. Kakashi stayed inside the conference room with Shikamaru (She could only assume to strategize the plans of how to move forward), and that left Kankuro and Gaara the last two to leave the room. The shorter of the two men took a tired gaze at both of the girls in front of him and sighed; running a hand through deep red locks.

"If you are going to fight, I'd rather you not talk. I've heard enough bickering to retire tomorrow and this isn't even my council." He sighed waving his hand to move them to head out.

"What are we having for lunch Sakura?" Kankuro asked, a gleam in his eyes that betrayed the tiredness of his walk.

"You're getting a home-cooked meal. Hinata is a great cook and insisted that everyone come over for lunch. Naruto shouldn't have a mission today so he should be over as well." Smiling softly at the promise of a Hinata made meal the four of them walked towards the Uzumaki home with a bit more spirit in their step than before.

Once arrived, the group heard some sort of commotion before Sakura knocked lightly on the door. "Hinata, is everything okay?"

Running back to the entrance, dressed casually with a lilac apron over her clothes Hinata grinned at the team. "Oh yes, it's fine. Naruto was just being loud. I have to add an extra place but come in relax. I'm sure the morning meetings were quite tiring."

Nodding the group moved to relax and hearing the sound again coming from the back garden, Sakura and Gaara walked up to inspect whatever noise Naruto could come up with.

Opening the door Sakura gasped and Gaara subtly held back a groan.

"Sasuke, you're back early."


	9. Chapter 9

The pink kunoichi grinned wildly at the return of the third member of the now legendary team seven. Gaara noticed the twitch of her fingers and let out a small sigh. He knew that was her sign that all she wanted to do was hug the dark headed man in front of her but didn't because she was afraid of his reaction. This was a feature she used to do for him until the kazekage politely told her he wasn't used to people touching him, not that he minded.

It was well known that Gaara and Sasuke were not good friends. They respected one another as powerful individuals but Gaara never appreciated how Sasuke seemed to endlessly abandon a village and loved ones that adamantly wanted him to stay; something that Gaara himself worked tirelessly on doing and wanting to have in his own life today. Sasuke never liked such a powerful figure waltzing into his home and into the lives of his friends with such reckless freedom. It wasn't until the end of the war that Gaara could actually say he strongly disliked the Uchiha, prime example being his treatment of Sakura.

Turning away to go assist Hinata in the kitchen and calm his mind in a way only Hinata seemed to have the power to do, the kazekage heard a voice call out.

"Nice seeing you in my village again. Chunin exams aren't for a while, what brings you to the leaf?"

Gaara was not one for dealing with Sasuke in more than silent toleration and the Uchiha knew that. The Uchiha, according to Kankuro, was also a spiteful little shit who likes to poke and agitate when he should leave well enough alone. Holding the leaf as _his_ village irked Gaara to no end, and as he's had to hold his tongue all morning he was only too happy to lash out his gift of words to the other man.

" _Your village?_ " Gaara questioned, turning towards him. "That's almost a comedic statement now with how little you are in your own village. I'm certainly here more between visiting my loved ones and my business transactions. I'm actually here to talk about how great _my_ village is doing. Lending the leaf some tips on how they can follow suit if you must know."

Sensing the energy of the room change, Naruto went to intervene the animosity between his two best friends with a short laugh. "Hey guys come on. I think Hinata will be done soon don't you think Sakura?"

Ignoring Naruto, Sasuke stepped closer to the shorter red head and gave his own short laugh. "Oh really, that's great. Speaking of Sakura, Didn't she really step up your medical program? It's nice to know when the leaf spreads it's wings we can help so many people."

Gaara grit his teeth at that, knowing that in Sasuke's mind that was insinuating Sakura was his as well as that Suna's medical core was subpar. A statement most others wouldn't dare touch.

"Sakura wasn't really spreading her wings when she helped me install the children's mental health clinic; it was more like a second home to any leaf shinobi as I'm sure many others would attest to as-well. Nevertheless, I was grateful to have one of the greatest medical shinobi in my walls for a few months. Sakura knows she has a free spot on my board of directors any time she wants to come to Suna."

Not about to make this a pissing contest about her achievements, Sakura butted in, "Hey guys, stop…" Only to be interrupted by Sasuke's quick remark,

"Oh so she can come and go as she pleases but I need to give 24 hours notice of being anywhere in the wind country?"

"She is considered friendly and is under my watchful protection. You have been known to be unpredictable and _how_ many times have you left your own village?"

"Gaara" Sakura started pressing a hand on his arm to him to not go there.

"Enough to try and protect it from the monsters in this world. I'm sure you understand that."

"Sasuke." Naruto chided moving to grasp a hand on the Uchiha's arm for not going _there_.

"I protect those I care about by keeping them close to me. You can't protect them if you're halfway across the world."

"You can't be everywhere. You said it yourself, you have people you want to protect in the leaf, don't you?" The Uchiha hissed glancing at the hand Sakura still had on Gaara's arm.

"I wanted Temari to stay under the protection of Suna. But, I cared about her enough to know that as clan leader, Shikamaru couldn't leave. I would have prevented my sister from being with the person she loved if I kept her in Suna. So yes, Sasuke it hurts me. It hurts me to leave anyone I care about outside of my protection. But I'm not heartless." The kazekage glared at the Uchiha before touching the small of Sakura's back, nodding that he would be ok.

"If those important people in my life have love or passions that keep them away from me I won't cage them. The real monster would be if someone told me they had love for someone or something and then I just threw that confession away. Left them to be lonely."

The kazekage turned into the kitchen then, spying the Hyuuga, pouring a cup of tea and a soft smile on her face. "That was mean Gaara-san."

The energy left the kazekage soon after and he slumped in a chair before thanking the Hyuuga heiress for the tea. "He pushes all my buttons. He's the worst person to ruin all my self control, and the way he treats Sakura and Naruto." The redhead paused to sip tea, not wanting to boil over again.

"He has always seen you as a threat. He cares about Naruto and Sakura really. He just shows it a little different. I didn't realize he thought you could be so convincing to have people move to Suna. If I were Sakura I would take that spot." She chuckled after seeing the small blush on his face.

"Gaara-san. As far as I know Sakura-chan is free tomorrow evening. Maybe you should make a formal case for her doing a residency in Suna? You never know, some other place might snatch her up." She smiled then, Gaara nodding at her suggestion of him to ask her out on some form of date.

After her marriage to Naruto, Hinata and Gaara began to spend more and more time together. Surprised at how similar the two were in hobby and demeanor she grew close to the Suna shinobi and even hinted that if Naruto were into men Gaara might be the one he had married.

 _What surprised her more is that he shook his head no. "Even if Naruto was into men, he would never be with me."_

" _Why not?" Hinata had questioned, not finding the answer in her own mind._

" _He could never be Hokage then. It would be just un Naruto." He laughed, and Hinata chuckled in agreement._

She had found so much comfort in the quiet red head. It reminded her of her dearly departed Neji. She missed him so much in times where she and Gaara bonded.

"I may do that, but I thought she had other commitments in the leaf?" The kage asked before taking a few more sips of tea.

"None more permanent than she's had for a few years. But that's for later. Maybe we should get lunch on the table. You've got afternoon meetings to attend to."

Groaning lightly Gaara stood up to assist. "Now that was mean Hinata-san."

Sakura, who was not a very good cook herself and would routinely rave over Hinata's cooking, felt like lunch was spoiled. Two of the closest members of her friend group had verbally stabbed the other. When the group returned from the back garden Kankuro immediately knew what had happened and went to silently console his younger brother. Wisteria, not really knowing the Uchiha simply sized him up in similar fashion to how Sakura sized Wisteria up in their first meeting.

What was odd to the pinkette was that Wisteria seemed to approve of Sasuke. Even more so she seemed to have at least caught the interested eye of Sasuke. Something Sakura worked tirelessly for years to gain. It was with no small amount of sadness that she noticed the Suna kunoichi gain it almost on instant.

The two sat together with Hinata beside Wisteria, Naruto at the head flanking Sasuke and Gaara and Sakura was between Gaara and Kankuro. The group went into quiet conversations, none really wanted to strike up in a friendly meeting and Sakura couldn't help but see the subtle techniques Wisteria used on Sasuke. The lilt of her voice, the way she ran her fingers through her hair. Even in the bits of conversation she seemed intelligent but not overly opinionated. Sasuke ate every bit up and the two seemed to hit it off famously to Sakura's chagrin.

Staring down at her thigh, after feeling something itchy, she noticed a tiny, little, sand-made, fox running down her thigh. The fox then changed to a hopping bunny, then finally an adorably small Shukaku. Gaara's sand creatures never failed to bring a smile to her face and she loved that he would always do them for her to cheer her up.

Whispering in her ear the kazekage added. "I apologize for how I acted earlier. You are not some bait to be bartered with over a petty squabble. I know Sasuke is important to you and Naruto and I will try harder to be more, tolerable."

Sakura turned and smiled at him nodding and quietly responding, "It's ok. I know how you two get; but thank you. I do like knowing you'll try harder."

Sakura finished the rest of her meal in silence and when noticing the time Hinata laughed and agreed to walk the group back to the Hokage tower so that she could make her afternoon shift at the hospital on time.

When Sakura was walking back she couldn't help but notice, when had Sasuke ever apologized for any of his actions? Gaara, who was just as prideful, was never wary to show remorse when he was wrong or hide his fallings for showing face. He always continued to apologize for his past mistakes and she smiled at the reminder of a memory of their then budding relationship on the battlefield of the fourth great shinobi war as she turned into the hospital.

—-

"Sakura-san!" A Suna shinobi called out. Sakura turned towards the man and wiped her forehead from the injuries she just finished healing. "The kazekage has collapsed. We have moved him to his bunk but we need your attention.

Instantly Sakura paled. If someone like Gaara, someone who she always felt like was this invincible force. Someone who could, without question, always be okay in her eyes be injured then this was bad.

Rushing to the lead commanders tent she gasped out looking at the barely conscious kazekage and the distinctly darker patch of blood stained pant on his left leg. Moving to clear the room Sakura sent a waving of healing chakra to him, gasping at how low the normally ginormous levels of chakra reserves the kazekage had were at, she whispered out, "What happened?"

Looking with glazed over eyes at her the red head coughed out. "There was a recon team and a landslide. I had to get them out safely. I knew, they had new information about the Akatsuki."

Sakura nodded, pouring in a few drops of her own chakra to his main points to help kick start his own replenishment, before moving to heal the small gash on his thigh.

"Ok, if that is the case then how did you get this wound?" She asked looking up at him and trying to refrain from scolding him for literally trying to stop a natural disaster.

"I'd rather not say." He murmured turning away from the head of his shinobi medic core.

"Gaara," Sakura scolded looking at him in a comforting way that could only show how worried she was for him.

"It's slightly embarrassing." He blushed slightly and Sakura couldn't help but smile, curling up in his bed as she finished her job. After he wrapped his own arms around her she whispered out.

"I thought you were nearly gone, whatever you say happened I won't care because you're ok."

Pausing for a moment he simply ran his fingers through her hair, calming the kunoichi down and relaxing them both.

"I got too close to a tankuni in the forest. The creatures are rather territorial." He mumbled out, which led Sakura herself to grin.

"Sounds a bit like a certain tankuni-like kazekage I know." Sakura chuckled and after a moment Gaara chuckled as well.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them in the tent, a rare moment of peace for the budding couple in the throws of war before the Suna native of the two uttered out.

"I'm sorry." Turning to sit up slightly so she could see his face, Sakura went to question what he was apologizing for before he added.

"I'm sorry to have worried you. I know you have a lot to worry about and I promise you that as far as medical situations go I will be the last person on your list of people to worry about."

Smiling up at him Sakura grinned and went in to press her lips softly against his. Coming up for air she whispered softly, "You could never be the last person on the list of people I care about, but I am happy to know you will be taking better care of yourself on the battlefield."


	10. Chapter 10

Gaara had just stepped out of the shower, his will to murder on a hair's trigger after the afternoon meetings and he had all but disappeared on site when they were concluded. Council meetings for a normal person were stressful. Gaara had to add on the fact that they weren't his council; they invited him for _his_ ideas; and Gaara had an actual bloodlust he had to actively repress. Wiping the fog away from the mirror the 24 year old moved to check if he had grown any grey hairs. There was a patch around the crown of his head growing that he tried his best to hide; not that he would admit he had any amount of vanity in him to do so.

Staring for a moment at himself he glanced over at his shoulders, broader than he was as a child and nearly more broad than his older brother. He always had defined Traps and triceps, but carrying a 60 pound gourd since you were eleven would do that. What had changed were the chiseled abs and pronounced pecks that he had gained. Gaara was tired of being down right tragic at Taijutsu and took up Lee's offer to teach him a thing or two. Gaara had never felt closer to death than that moment (including the time he actually died) but the results made the once scrawny teen look like a presentable young man these days. Placing a hand over that prominent scar on his chest, Gaara sent out a pulse of his own chakra and smiled as he felt the familiar resistance of the pinkette's own chakra. It was faint now, but still there. If she truly focused she could sense him from miles away with that drop imbedded into the scar tissue.

Smirking to himself the young kazekage moved to get dressed and step out for the evening. He had an errand to do.

Whether it was fate or bad luck when the red head stepped into the Yamanaka flower shop it was the best friend of his pink kunoichi that was at the counter. Smiling at him she called over as Gaara closed the distance, "Ooh a kazekage in the shop how important. Did Temari send you in because she wants more sunflowers in her kitchen? I swear she can sense when we get new ones in."

Shaking his head no but chuckling slightly the redhead leaned on the counter and added, "No but add a dozen of those to my tab. If you deliver could you send them to her tomorrow morning? If not I'll pick them up myself in the morning." He added knowing the site of flowers with her morning coffee always brightened the mood of his sister.

"We do deliver and I can do that. If you're not here for Temari then who is the lucky lady, or man." Rolling his eye lightly at the known gossip queen of Konoha he murmured out,

"It's actually for Sakura. I had a disagreement with Sasuke at Naruto's earlier and I want to apologize. Plus I want to thank her for being my escort this week. I'm not really the most _predictable_ of guests. I used to annoy the crap out of my ANBU guards till they learned my patterns."

Nodding with a smirk she actually gaping a bit at the Suna native's attempt at humor. "Wow was that you both saying you're a shinobi that knows how to apologize and you can be funny at the same time? I get why your fan club has chapters in every village." She teased moving to ring him up before pausing.

"Well how about this. I could give you Sakura's favorite flowers. Guaranteed to make her happy and put you ahead of Sasuke in the amends department with her." He nodded about to pull out his wallet when the blond held up a finger, "But you have to answer some questions first."

"About?" The kazekage questioned, putting his arms over his chest in his standard pose.

"You. I'll keep it simple. I'll ask you 20 questions about your personal life. No names of other people need to be given. And I'll even put the flowers on the house. This is plenty payment."

"Why do you want to know about my personal life?"

"Because!" Ino nearly shrieked with a pout on her face. "You're like everything at once. You're a diplomat and really quiet but you're really good at talking and you know rock stars. You drink and you have tattoos and you cover yourself in the latest fashions, yet you have a cacti collection and you never seem to do anything stupid like the other boys. I just have no idea who the hell Sabuku no Gaara is and honestly that is not my mo. I can not be the information queen if I couldn't answer two sentences about you that people you have a passing acquaintanceship would know."

Nodding slowly the redhead processed her reasons and deemed her desire to understand him more harmless enough, "1 question."

"10"

"2"

"10"

The redhead glared in a hint that his patience was wearing thin. He never claimed he was patient and hoped that the other knew so. The blond paused and added with a finality. "5. And I'll put on tea."

"…4"

The kunoichi nodded her acceptance and Ino went to put on a cup of tea in the back, coming back with a second chair for him.

"Ok so while the tea brews let me think of a nice starter question." She paused with a finger on her lip in thought.

"Oh I know, what is one thing you do by yourself that no one else knows you like to do?" Sitting down on the chair the redhead paused before uttering out.

"I rather enjoy listening to rap music, specifically instrumental beats. It helps the paperwork go by quicker. Kiri actually has rather good rap music if you ever visit."

Shaking her head the Yamanaka grinned, cat-like, at her findings. "You don't disappoint Sabuku no Gaara. Starting off strong."

Hearing the whistle of the tea she ran off and soon came back with a tray of tea and the light additives that went with tea. "It's a lemon and hibiscus blend we make right here in the shop so I think you'll enjoy it." Putting a dollop of honey in hers she took a slow sip before piping up.

"Might as well dispel bad information before we add anymore more good. Shed some light onto the rumors that you are gay?"

Scoffing lightly, the kazekage took the tea with a sniff before taking a slow sip and thinking about how to answer it. "As to if I am opposed to the affections of a woman no I am not gay. however, and I encourage you to be quiet about this until I can silence my own council's opinion on the matter, I am not opposed to the affections of a man. I have been denied the comforts of touch and love for most of my life. What someone identifies as should matter little to me in the larger scheme of things."

The blond seemed absolutely shocked, running through many scenarios through her head before whispering. "Wow, a bisexual Kazekage. Gotta be a first."

"Not really." The kazekage quipped sipping his tea, It really was rather good. "The third was widely rumored to be homosexual, merely taking a wife for political reasons."

"Nice to note. Well if we're on the subject of bedroom partners I might as well ask, What's your number Gaara?"

Thinking lightly the red head moved to set the cup down and reply. "I honestly couldn't tell you. Maybe half a dozen men and around double that of women from the time I was 17 until I was 21. I've slowed down quite recently and only had two sexual partners since the war; well three but I would really rather not revisit my slip ups on vacation."

Ino dropped and shattered the cup at his mention of a number closing in on 20 by 24. "Holy shit. I, I am honestly shocked. Best gossip ever. Gaara, kazekage of Suna, playboy?!" The red head sighed and moved to add, running a set of fingers through his hair.

"I was discovering the idea of relationships and affection and unfortunately that came across at the same time as most boys go into a high sexual puberty. Most of the people I was with cared little for my happiness or well-being. To them I was rich and powerful and a notch to add to their belt. Honestly, I didn't know any better than to be grateful for someone willing to be with me."

Cleaning up the cup and arranging it back together with sand he touched the rim of the cup; placing a bit of fire style to mold the cracks with the sand, giving it a new design.

"I know now how many people face similar problems as I did. I put in a lot of funding to help people deal with abuse, addiction, and mental health and not falling into the trap of just finding another vice. Changing bloodlust into workaholism into plain lust was not a healthy way to become an adult."

Ino nodded slowly at the confession holding his hand before realizing what she was doing. "That is amazing. I-I don't know many men that would admit to something like that, let alone put money into making sure it happens to less people in the future or that when it does there is someone there that wants to help, that cares." Standing up she went to go wrap up Sakura's flowers, a unique blend of tiger Lilly that had pink in the color pattern.

"I added a few bits of forget-me-nots and some purple hyacinth for color and this pink rose was in full bloom so I know Sakura would just love it."

"So you want me to tell her I'm sorry but I'm prideful. I'll be faithful to her; I have fond memories of her and I still love her?" The kazekage asked quirking up the muscles where his eyebrow would have been.

"Didn't expect you to know flower language so well kazekage-sama. I can say that Sakura was never this good at flower meanings but I suppose she never saw the point."

"Suna is a village that thrives on its poison specialty. Many flowers have traits that can be poisonous. The language of flowers is something that we pick up on over time. Plus with how well our greenhouses have been doing with our chakra enhanced, water-saving plants, more and more flower shops have been popping up in Suna."

The kunoichi hummed in response and passed the bouquet over to the red head, with a receipt for the sunflowers and their delivery time for his sister.

"Ino, you never asked your final question. Did I answer all the queries you seemed to have about me?" Smirking the blond nodded before heading back to the counter.

"You never denied that wasn't exactly what you wanted to say to Sakura-chan. My last question was what were your feelings to her anyway. I don't know what you two are or were or whatever but, I wish you luck." She chuckled placing a yellow daffodil in the lapel of his jacket.

"You're quite the enigma Sabuku no Gaara." She teased waving him away. Flowers, flowers were their start weren't they?"

—

Sakura sat groaning at the kitchen table. Another day of dealing with the paperwork for installing the Children's mental health clinic. It was bad enough in Konoha, but Suna doctors didn't trust her, all their laws were different and if she didn't see a color that wasn't brown she was going to scream. Seemingly as she was just deciding to do so a gemstone that looked like a rose and a bright pink flower appeared in front of her.

"What is this?" Looking up to see that it was the kazekage who gifted her the items she picked up the bright pink flower and grinned softly. "Gaara?"

"Desert rose is good for transferring energy from negative to positive. Plus the flower is seen as a sign of prosperity." In short, cheer up and don't murder my medical staff. She deduced placing the flower in her hair and moving to give him a hug.

"Thank's Gaara. You didn't have to go out of your way to do this."

"It's no trouble." The redhead uttered, stiffing up a bit in the arms of the kunoichi. "I passed the tree on a patrol around the dunes. I know that don't grow wild in the leaf so I assumed you would enjoy them."

She nodded looking at the stone and smiling softly at it's petal like structure. "I do, and I appreciate it anyway." Glancing at the time she smiled and asked, "Would you like to join me for dinner as a thank you? I could use a bit of time away from the desk and I know no Kage in their right mind doesn't need time away from their desk."

Chuckling softly and nodding, the redhead motioned for her to take lead, "True, but the coming back to the desk part; that's what will drive a person to madness. I should know."

Sakura paused and turned to look at the redhead behind her. "Was that a joke?" The redhead nodded lightly before adding.

"Temari and Kankuro say I have a horrible sense of humor. I really should stop being funny."

"They're right." Sakura added turning away from him and walking. "Your sense of humor is awful." Glancing back at him she grinned and added. "But don't stop telling me jokes because I like your sense of humor."


	11. Chapter 11

AN: I felt like posting a day early for this juicy chapter. Small Lemon at the bottom but I wanted a highlight piece of their past relationship. Leave me some thoughts about it and I've been loving the support this fic is getting.

Sakura was cleaning up after a nice delivery. A woman had just given birth to two healthy baby boys and Sakura couldn't help but feel giddy. She tried to tell herself that it was because of being able to use her gift to bring new life into the world; and while that was true a part of her knew it was because the boys had bright red hair. Finishing up washing her hands the kunoichi heard a squeal and set out to see what the problem was.

"Kimiko-san, what's going on?" She poked her head into the reception area only to notice the squeal was a rather flustered receptionist dealing with a visiting Suna shinobi.

"Kazekage-sama, what brings you into the hospital? You're not sick are you?" Sakura teased, moving to chuckle and close the gap between them.

Adjusting to stand up fully and turn towards her, the redhead smiled softly and pulled out a beautiful bouquet of flowers. "I'm fine. I simply came to apologize and make amends properly. I figured your office could use a few fresh flowers."

Taking the bouquet and smelling the flowers as a distraction to her small blush; Sakura got a good look at the type of flowers in her arms. "These, these are my favorites. You got them from Ino's shop didn't you?"

The young kazekage nodded and ran a set of fingers through his hair. "That I did and it cost me a pretty penny, so will you let me make it up to you with dinner tomorrow evening and we'll call all my actions in the past?" He asked ignoring the gaping group of nurses that had come with the rumor of the kazekage in the hospital.

Blushing deeper the rosette slowly nodded yes, earning a collective squeal from her nurses before Sakura added. "But only because I know Ino put you through some serious interrogation to get that information."

Smirking softly, Gaara took her free hand and kissed it simply. "I'll pick you up at 7 then." Standing up the kazekage turned to walk out of the hospital before giving a wave. "Have a productive day kunoichi. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sakura swore he was using a tone of voice that was practically a purr; something that had her nurses practically fawning over him after he left. Guess the kazekage just received a new medical chapter of his fan club.

Spying the Uzumaki heiress walk up and question the ruckus the brunette turned to Sakura and asked, "What is going on Sakura-chan?"

Hiding the flowers behind her back only to realize she was too late; the pinkette sighed and uttered. "Gaara came to visit me at work and asked me out to dinner tomorrow."

"Oh," The former Hyuga replied, a soft smile gracing her features as she asked. "That's nice Sakura-chan. What are you going to wear?"

"What am I?" Sakura started before racking through her mental wardrobe. Paling lightly the rosette responded. "I have no earthly idea."

The brunette in front of her chuckled and paused. "I think I have something you could wear that Gaara-san would like. Shino-kun bought it for me on one of his last missions. It's beautiful but too small for me; I think it would fit you perfectly." She nodded and the rosette agreed. Hinata never wore anything too revealing and she notoriously had expensive tastes. If Hinata had something Sakura would not pass up the opportunity.

"I'll drop it off at your house around eight tonight then. Naruto-kun wanted to go out for dinner anyway so I'll do so then."

Nodding lightly Sakura agreed before meekly adding. "Um if you could not tell Naruto I'm going on a date with Gaara, that would be great." The rosette knew the Hokage to be meant well, but if the blonde got wind of two of his best friends getting together then there really would be no stopping them.

The rest other shift at the hospital was uneventful and when she was finishing up her paperwork for the evening she couldn't help but smile at the bouquet that she had put in a vase on her desk.

Sabuko no Gaara was never a person that people could say had trouble making decisions. He chose a restaurant and booked it without question easily. He asked his brother to distract his aide and that he would be preoccupied for most of the evening with ease. He even made a dent in the discussions this morning and afternoon with the leaf high council. So, it was evident that when Sabuko no Gaara looked through the items of clothing he brought with him he was frustrated that he couldn't find anything suitable to wear.

He halfway wanted to simply wear his shinobi uniform but if Sakura was wearing civilian clothes, as she was prone to doing on her off days; he didn't want to look too different from her.

He didn't want to go too formal as the restaurant he chose wasn't. However, he was a man of high standing and couldn't be seen walking in a different nation in jeans and a t-shirt. Groaning and filtering through the random shirts he brought to go under his robes he paused at a linen button down without a collar. The soft hunter green worked well with his coloring and when he looked at the maker of the design he smiled. Sakura had bought him this shirt for Christmas one year.

Slipping it on the redhead couldn't help but smirk at how much better he filled it out than when she bought it. "The power of youth isn't complete bullshit I guess Lee. I owe you a hundred laps around the village." He chuckled to himself, happy that no one could hear him say the word youth or complement the bushy-browed ninja.

A simple set of jeans and casual boots and he considered himself fit for her presence. Stringing his portable guard around one of his belt loops he moved to step out of the compound and disappear into the early evening air with the aid of his sand.

Sakura was twirling around in her dress that Hinata had gifted her, seeing immediately where it would be too small and actually happy for once that she was not as well endowed as the brunette. The dress had buttons all the way down the front and was a beautiful dark green floral pattern that brought out her eyes. The real perk to the item was that it was 100% of the finest silk in the land of rain. There were real perks to being part of the Aburame clan; she chuckled to herself.

Hearing the distinct three knocks on her door she grabbed her purse and opened up her door.

"Right on time as always kazekage-sama."

Bowing slightly the redhead grinned and held out his hand. "I don't want us to miss our reservation kunoichi. You look lovely this evening. So lovely I'll ignore the fact that you used my formal title; this once." Rolling her eyes Sakura took his hand to step outside before locking her door.

—

She was never this lazy. Sakura was normally quite the early riser. There was always something to do on the battlefield and so little time to get it all done. However, as she stared down at the man below her, resting peacefully on her bare stomach she honestly couldn't give a damn. Feeling him stir a bit Sakura smiled and ran a set of fingers through his hair.

"Sleep well?"

Blinking slowly, the kazekage turned lord commander of the fourth shinobi army let out a lazy grin. Pulling up to kiss his pink headed kunoichi before responding, "Oh Sakura, you have no idea. If you weren't so useful as a medic I'd make your new mission to do nothing but lie in bed and keep me company."

Chuckling in the kiss she smiled up at him. "I'm pretty advanced, I think I can handle two missions at once." She giggled again kissing him once more before she moved to cover herself from him. However, before she could a hand stopped her.

"Don't." His eyes glared and Sakura let her hand go, exposing her breasts to him again. "You are a beautiful kunoichi." He paused to move a trail of kisses from her ear down to her collarbone. "Don't ever hide another inch of your beauty to me." He moved lower still, giving delicious attention to each one of her breasts. If his mouth occupied one his hand would entertain the other. "I'll consider it insubordination of your mission." He purred moving to place a single kiss between her chest as he moved on top of her.

With a red flush on her face, she could only trail her eyes down to him, not missing the hungry glint that his jade irises always had when they were intimate.

"Gaara. We need to get up soon." She moaned out, unwilling to utter such phrases and ruin the peace of their morning.

"I'm already up. But if you need a little more stimulus I would be happy to provide." He chuckled lowly, trailing his kisses lower and dipping his head under the sheets of the bed provided to officers of high status.

"Gaara, what are you doing?" She stuttered out breathlessly. It was no question their gap in experience was wide, and yet it seemed at every turn he continued to surprise her.

"Don't mind me kunoich." He murmured lowly, placing a kiss to her inner thigh before spreading her legs a bit. "I'm simply having a little breakfast. My doctor told me I need to improve my diet." He teased taking a teasing lick and Sakura gasped at the sensation.

"Oh, God."

"Not my name kunoichi but we'll get there soon I promise." He smirked before placing a hand under her rear and diving in.

Sakura was seeing stars from his menstruations. His tongue was always so talented and could always trap her into such interesting predicaments. His lips were always so soft and felt like pillows to whatever surface touched them. She was caught between gripping the sheets and entangling them in that glorious mane of blood red hair he had. Gasping out as he found a particularly sensitive section she settled for sheets. She couldn't have him be distracted from a moment of this talented work.

She felt so utterly under his control at this moment, but to think about it. From any other angle, it would appear as if she had completely tamed the kazekage of Suna. Far be it from the truth Sakura was starting to fear that with every lap and kiss and suck he did with his mouth she was slowly and surely becoming his and his alone.

She was coming to her high soon; it never took long with Gaara and it never failed to happen with Gaara. After having more talks with Ino about her sexual escapes than she'd care to have she knew her first was more talented than most. A phrase seemingly appropriate phrase for most things about the redhead.

When Sakura came with Gaara it was always like a sandstorm. It felt sudden and powerful and both too short and much to long at the same time. Gaara could control sandstorms like he was the originators though, and he could always help her ride out her orgasm into an oasis of pleasure and bliss and satisfaction she could scarcely find elsewhere.

Panting deeply she smiled up at her lover who had pulled up to be close to her again. Moving to climb down and reciprocate in the ways that her blonde best friend had described she was stopped by a pair of strong arms.

"But Gaara?" She questioned looking up and him and wanting to return the bliss he had provided her so seamlessly.

"Another time Sakura." He looked at her, running fingers through her hair and kissing her forehead tenderly. "For now I am sated just knowing that I can bring you to paradise and back. Plus, we do need to get up soon." He smirked and Sakura groaned before sitting up and grinning walking away from him to slip on her clothes and getting ready for the day. She could feel his eyes on her nude form as she went to grab her bindings.

"What?" She questioned turning towards him as she finished up and went to put on the rest of her clothes.

"Nothing, I just know what I want to eat for dinner is all."


	12. Chapter 12

The fourth shinobi war a horrible, terrible thing that Sakura knew already would rock and change the lives of every single person she knew and loved forever. She herself included, and yet, she couldn't bear to not feel elated when she woke up. She was stupid enough to let her passing fling with Gaara not only turn into a full-blown crush, the likes she hadn't seen since she was in the academy; but she brought it into the battlefield.

Sakura could barely keep her grin off her face as she was given the title of the head of the medic core and right hand to Gaara as his advisor on their man-powered resources as well as a personal medic to the lead commander. She kept herself entirely professional for a grand total of six weeks. Six weeks she would report to Gaara on the health of his soldiers, his own health, and her predictions on the types of fighting most common in certain areas. However, Gaara was said to be a great strategist and cornered her in a moment of weakness.

Seeing him approach her she stood up and bowed, a cursory glance given to her in place of the sigh he normally did at her unnecessary formality. "Kazekage-sama, what is it that I can do to be of service?" She smiled and played her first move of defense.

"I need your advice on a decision I need to make for a scouting trip. Would you join me in my quarters? The documents are all there." He responded, taking their game to his home turf. She opened up a weakness and she couldn't give herself a good reason to reject his request.

Walking swiftly behind the redhead she paused to think of the last time they had been alone together, and how just before the war the sand siblings had stopped to inform Naruto about the five Kage summit. She went to assess his injuries, not believing that he was both perfectly fine nor did he get checked up. Their argument turned heated and the heat transferred into a feverish make-out session that she didn't realize left them both nearly nude till they both felt the approaching chakra signature of their blonde friend. They hadn't been able to personally speak since and Sakura really would rather keep it that way.

Not realizing she had arrived till she saw the young Kage pour two cups of tea and set one aside for her as he laid out battle maps she shook her head to come out of her revelry.

"What did you need my advice on."

"I have only enough spare healers for one group and two groups need to go out for specific missions. Both are scouting requests with different former Akatsuki sightings, and while one is in a more uncharted territory known traditionally as the more dangerous region there are much fewer Zetsu sightings than the team headed east."

Looking at the maps before recognizing the areas and flipping through the dossier of ninja teams and the spare healer that would go with one of them she bit her lip in concentration. She felt honored he would consider her advice for something like this and tied her hair up to better concentrate.

"Can you shuffle the teams up any?" She asked wondering if they were put together for any particular reason.

"Partly." He grunted, holding out their photos and separating them out. "These two must remain separate as they are captains. These three are long range, these two are genjutsu specialists and these two were on a shinobi team together already so their work ethic is cleaner when together. I believe you are familiar with the healer more than I?" He questioned and Sakura nearly missed how he stiffened when she leaned over him to look at the images.

"Yes she, she's fire type leaning so I'd rather her go with the Zetsu team." Looking at the rest she arranged a bit and concluded. "Put the twins in the dark swamp and arrange the rest how you see fit. I've been in that area before and great teamwork is vital." She finished and looked up at Gaara who seemed to not be paying attention to her. "What's wrong? Did I place someone incorrectly?" Biting her lip again the Kage gripped her chin and with a press of his thumb she released it.

"You did perfectly, but if you bite that lip one more time I will take it from you."

Gasping softly, she could barely keep focus as she tried to question his comment. "Kazekage-sama?"

"Gaara, when you address me use my name." He hissed pulling her in close, stopping just a moment before reaching her lips. "I won't have you moan out any other name but mine." And with that, she was lost in his lips and the fiery touch of his hands sent shivers down her spine.

"Why?" She trembled, looking up at him with glazed over eyes.

"Because you've been on my mind since the summit and I will make sure we finish what we started there." She gasped and he was on her again. His lips were on hers, her neck, her jaw. Each kiss and suck and bite slowly making her feel like she was losing her mind. She didn't realize she had hit his bed till she was toppling onto it.

"Gaara we are at war." She tried to rationalize; knowing full well how many nights she had dreamt up scenarios so similar to the one she was currently in.

"Which is why I can't allow you to torment me so fully any longer kunoichi." He purred, moving to undo her vest as his legs straddled hers.

"Gaara, I've never.." She started, unsure of how to express the fact that she was a virgin and knowing fully by the way he touched her that he was not.

"I will be gentle. Let me ignite a fire in you that you will love as gratitude for you quenching my long had thirst." He whispered trailing deep set kisses down her chest that left her feeling feverish. If only he knew what fires he caused already in her.

"The others." She whispered, knowing the terror of dealing with her friends, his family finding out about their tawdry affair when they were meant to be rescuing someone she claimed to love. A fact she had yet to understand in her own mind, less be able to explain to their shared inner circle.

"Need not to know what occurs behind closed doors. The only words that will stop me Sakura are yours. Tell me you are not ready and I will wait until you are. Tell me you do not want me and you will never hear another word of this I promise." He lifted up his head to gaze jade onto emerald. "But tell me you desire, tell me you want me and I swear to you I will show you a pleasure you could only ever dream of with a lesser man. I will bring the stars to you, take you to drown in an ocean of ecstasy, and always leave you begging for more." A simple kiss to her inner thigh was had as he whispered out.

"You need only give me permission."

The kunoichi nodded and sealed her fate. Never knowing how well Gaara would keep his promise.

"Sakura, Sakura, Sakura." She heard from her red-headed date this evening, a blush staining her cheeks as she was pulled from her memory of the kakekage deflowering her some 4 years ago.

"Hmm? I'm sorry my mind is elsewhere." She murmured biting her lip in embarrassment.

"It's fine, I simply was asking if we could make a pit stop to my sisters. She asked to see me and I've not had time with meetings. We could spare a bit before our reservation if you don't mind."

"Oh, oh. I'm so sorry I did hear any of that earlier."

"Stars in your eyes kunoichi? It's fine, well shall we make a quick detour to the Nara estate? I need only your permission." He teased and oh if he only knew how much that phrase made her weak at the knees.

Nodding shortly the shinobi smiled softly at her before heading towards his sister's home. Glancing properly at him she could only see how much he had grown to a powerful young man. He'd hit a late growth spurt during the war that suited his lanky body. Recently, however, he had added bulk to his frame and filled out the curves of his already defined muscles. Glancing at a reflection of the two of them she nearly gasped at how well they seemed to fit now. Like pieces that only needed time to grow, to adjust into one another but always belonged just the same. If only it was as simple for them to actually be together than to simply look good together.

Stopping in at the Nara compound It was Shikamaru that answered, a small smile on his face. "Hey, it's the brother of the year. Man, I don't know what made you send the flowers but they couldn't have come at a better time."

Turning the corner the sight of a bawling Temari shocked both Sakura and Gaara still.

"Temari, are you ok?" The kunoichi started and looking up at the two of them she quickly stood and rushed to trap her younger brother in a crushing hug.

"How did you know? Oh Gaara, how did you know?" She bawled and it shook the kazekage to his core to see his sister so hysterical. Temari was a lot of things but she never cried, something had to have devastated her for this to be the outcome.

"Shika-kun?" Sakura attempted to get her friend to explain, though he shook his head. The Nara clan leader, on the other hand, seemed oddly chipper and that only seemed to confuse Sakura more.

Gaara eventually placed soothing hands on his sister and attempted to get her to calm down. "Temari, what did I know? What happened?"

Sniffling lightly she pulled away and tried to utter out. "I, well you're." Sighing she turned to have a small smile. "Your council is going to be pissed."

Stiffing Gaara looked at his sister and asked, "Why?" What on earth could be so bad that it would invoke the wrath of his council?

"Because, as of yesterday, there is now an heir to the Kazekage title; and they're also the heir to the Nara clan." That broke Gaara. It took a few moments for his mind to reset and then he wrapped her up in a hug Sakura was sure surprised everyone in the room. "You're pregnant. Fuck my council you're pregnant. Congratulations Temari. Whatever you need, anything at all you need only ask." Setting her down he grinned in a way that Sakura was so surprised with.

He seemed so happy for his sister, so thrilled that she was adding to her family. That seemingly shocked Temari to hear as well as she stuttered out, "Ga-Gaara I'm so glad you're happy. We just found out last night and when you sent the flowers this morning it was like you knew." She grinned and turned towards Sakura. "Please, please take over the care of this pregnancy. Gaara and Kankuro are huge worrywarts and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't allow many other people to touch their new niece or nephew."

Chuckling Gaara nodded. "My sister is right. You've held the lives of the Suna royal family in your hands more often than most. It would be only fitting you help bring in the next generation of heirs into the world of the living."

Nodding she smiled happily to ease some worry off of the new parents. "Of course. Come by the hospital tomorrow and I'll take over your charts and see how far along you are. Shikamaru I'd like you to come as well so we can get an updated chakra scan on file for both parents."

The group chatted happily and left shortly after with the promise of telling Kankuro as soon as either one of them saw him. Walking arm in arm Sakura paused and spoke her thoughts out loud. "I think you made your sister's day. I don't think any of us expected you to react so, enthusiastically about her adding to her family. You certainly weren't this excited about her marriage."

Pausing, the redhead turned to look at the rosette before speaking, trying to think about his response first. "My childhood was not one of happiness as I'm sure you may have learned. My father was not the most attentive and I was not the only Sabuko child he neglected. After my father passed Temari took on the title of house head and was the closest thing to a mother I will ever know. In her own way, Temari sacrificed more than I ever did. She, like me never got a real childhood, but she skipped straight into motherhood as she dealt with my transition of learning how to be, well human again."

He paused looking up at the night sky. "My older brother and sister became my rocks, and when I expressed the desire to take up the seat of kazekage, when truthfully Temari was the natural heir and natural choice, they did not question it. They supported me. They did not coddle me. Temari helped me be better, she was always a trusted advisor and when she left my side…"

"While I was unhappy to lose a trusted seat on the council I knew it was the least bit of happiness I could return to her for immediately being the mother I needed when Naruto showed me the path of light."

Turning towards Sakura he stopped at looked at her. "I know she'll be a great mother and I'm happy to know that child was made with love and will have a family that will support it, friends, to count on, and if Naruto gets his act together any time soon and becomes hokage, a leader that will protect it." Holding her hands Sakura for the first time saw fear and weakness in him as he shuttered out.

"Protect her, and protect the baby with everything you can. Do not let my family suffer another loss. Do not let this child grow up without a mother, I beg you. I will give the child everything it would ever desire. There is no expense I would not pay to ensure the health and happiness of my sister and her baby but I can't be in Konoha to protect them all the time." Gaara paused before adding and Sakura gasped seeing the terror in his eyes.

"Protect them for me Sakura I beg you."

"Of course Gaara. I'll do everything in my power to make sure she has a stress-free pregnancy and a happy baby when she is at term."

Turning and pulling her into a deep kiss Sakura couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow at hearing how viscously Gaara would protect his family. If he knew what she did back then she knows now that he would never forgive her. The least she could do would be to make it right with Temari and Shikamaru's child.

When they pulled away from their kiss they heard a distinct whistle and turned to see who had caught them.

"Sakura and Gaara kissing in the middle of the street. Well, wonders never cease don't they?"

A/N: Who do you think caught them? Who do you want to catch them I haven't decided yet so pleade your case in the comments and you may just get exactly what you want.


	13. Chapter 13

_"_ _Sakura and Gaara kissing in the middle of the street. Well, wonders never cease don't they?"_

Sakura froze. She knew that voice anywhere and it had been showing up with laze-fair comments since she was twelve years old. Turning slowly towards the current Hokage, she paled even further at the site of him being with the fearless kunoichi Anko.

"Kakashi-sensei, Anko-san. It's-it's good to see you." She stuttered out before feeling the soft, reassuring feeling of Gaara's hand on the small of her back.

"Well well well. Looks like your little squirts know how to fuck up in good ways and bad ways. First Naruto bags the Hyuuga heiress and now your Sakura lands the kazekage." Looking up at Gaara, Anko had a devilish smirk and for the first time, Sakura swore that Gaara paled.

"Trust me, kid, you picked a good one having Gaara as your little boy toy."

"Boy-toy?" Sakura questioned, looking up at Gaara and baffled that anyone could call him such a thing and live to tell the tale.

"Anko-san, Kakashi. I would like to apologize for our misstep. Our relationship is budding and your discretion would be appreciated. Especially to certain blonde friends of ours?"

Thankful for Gaara's quick deflection, Kakashi nodded with a small smirk. Well, Sakura knew it would be a smirk from noticing the wrinkle of his eyes, but couldn't see it through the mask.

"That's fine. While I know you left the field of silent infiltration a while ago, I may suggest you not engage in romantic acts so openly if you don't want certain Hokage to-be to find out."

Sakura laughed lightly and patted the small of Gaara's back to soothe him, knowing that being teased, even lightly, was still something few people tried to do with him and it took effort not to bite back.

"I will return to my training. I'm sure you remember when the bingo books called me Mr. Sandman right? I was scarier than any boogyman your leaf children could have told stories about?" Gaara responded in kind; a slight jab to Suna's running prejudice that the leaf was always the softest of the 5 shinobi nations.

"Mr. Sandman eh? Wasn't that an old song about a man who helped with dreaming?" Anko questioned and Sakura bristled at how there seemed to be no less than four hidden meanings to her comment.

"That is true Anko-san, but back when I was in the Suna ANBU black ops it was said that once Mr. Sandman put you to sleep, you never woke up. Many of my justu is about funeral acts because of that time period." He grinned and Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes at the small aspect of machismo her redheaded lover had. Though she supposed she was lucky she was around such skilled ninja as lesser people would have been terrified from Gaara's comment.

"Gaara-kun, we don't want to miss our reservation right? I'm sure we can catch up with Kakashi-sensei and Anko-San another time." She asked, not one to extend the ticking time bomb of four powerful and cheeky ninja having a tit for tat type of conversation.

Looking down at her, Gaara softened his smile and nodded. "Of course." Turning to the other two Gaara bowed slightly. "Another time then?"

"Absolutely, we'll have to chat on casual terms when all of our formal meetings are over," Kakashi added lightly.

"I'll see you around, firecracker," Anko responded and Sakura gaped at the level of red Gaara turned.

They arrived at the restaurant shortly after. Sakura being eager to get Gaara to spill what about the phrase or Anko for that matter, shook him so much. The venue was quaint, with mostly outside seating and gave the illusion of privacy. Sakura had long been interested at dining in The Secret Garden but its title of being a date night spot had kept her from being there truly.

Sitting them down and Gaara ordering them a bottle of Sake to start the evening Sakura asked, "So, was is so embarrassing about being called Firecracker? Or, was it simply because Anko-San called you firecracker."

Pausing from his perusal of the menu, Gaara quirked up an eyebrow. "Jealousy really doesn't become you Sakura. Two women in the same week?"

"Gaara?" Sakura chided, not wanting to hear from his teasing side at the moment.

"Fine, it was a rather childish nickname the kunoichi gave to me when we were both in the Mist for various missions." He stated, clearly wanting to finish the conversation there but Sakura was not having it.

"Oh, and how did you two talk enough that she can give you a nickname?"

"It's a bit of a long story." Gaara started as a last minute effort in avoiding the conversation.

"If only we were on a dinner date in a private corner of a restaurant and had three courses to talk about whatever we wanted."

Sighing Gaara set the menu down and paused to think of exactly how he wanted to begin.

"It was shortly before the 5 Kage summit. I was in the mist dealing with some water trade and the Mizukage always insisted that we do this in person. I swear that woman is a succubus and drains my youth every time I see her." Gaara grimaced at the memory of dealing with the other red head of the Kage circle.

"I was prepping for the coming meetings with a drink at a bar. The establishments of the mist were always a little seedy and a little dangerous so it never failed to relax me. Odd I know but it was something of a kind of security blanket to be around like willed people." Pausing as the waiter came with the Sake, Gaara thanked him and the two ordered their first course before he disappeared.

"I spotted Anko they're earlier and we had seen each other a time or two since I believe her and Kakashi grew up together. We acknowledged one another's presence as foreigners that could hold their own and I left it at that. Well, I was till I could feel the nagging in my head of my brother telling me that Suna men treated women better than any other nation. I tried to ignore it but my mind continued to torment me with my brother's teachings till I bought her a drink, no more no less." Taking a sip of the sake he paused and Sakura could see him thinking about how best to continue.

"She came to see me as a question and well, Anko is a unique woman. I've never met someone treat me so, bluntly before. I was still kazekage so it quickly became an argument."

And Sakura knew what arguments tended to be with Gaara. They were heated and intense and overwhelming and before he could say so Sakura said for him.

"You slept with her," Sakura said it as a statement not a question and the redhead nodded.

"She is quite the intense woman." He paused and then added, "Does this upset you?"

Sakura paused and thought about it. She knew Gaara was a man who had a 'phase' of falling into bed with people. He was young and many lesser men did just the same without exceptionally running a country since he was 15. Yet, they were always just vague other women. People who had no faces no lives. Women Sakura would probably never see nor know anything about, but Anko…

Anko was a woman Sakura had long looked up to before Sakura even knew who Tsunade was. Anko bowed to no man and held her own as a striking ANBU captain. She was something Sakura always wanted to be when she grew up and to think she'd been with Gaara, well it wasn't a stretch to find Sakura feeling a little insecure.

"No, but from now on, if we're going to try and be something. I want us to be exclusive." She covered. Gaara wanted her, he chose her. If he could stay faithful Sakura could put all of her childish ways aside.

"Sakura-I" The young kazekage paused to think about how best to answer. It was the most commitment Sakura had ever shown him and it was something he himself didn't know he wanted to hear till it left her lips.

Grasping her hands he kissed them softly before finishing his response.

"Sakura Haruno, as long as you are willing to be mine I will be yours and yours alone. I'm a flawed man and I have many drawbacks. I will have to put my people and my village before your needs and desires at times although it pains me to admit, but still." He looked up, Jade irises catching emerald and Sakura nearly swooned at how they shinned in the candlelight.

"When I am with you, you will be my world. You will always be an important person to me and I will always keep a part of you in my heart. All I ask." He paused taking a bit of sand and crafting it into a bracelet. It ebbed and flowed and danced like Sakura's own personal sandstorm.

"Is that you are faithful and honest with me." Sakura nodded and Gaara slipped on the bracelet; the two both in soft smiles.

"So," Sakura chuckled as she dug into her food. "What is Anko-san like in bed?"

Coughing as her statement shocked him, Gaara blushed and thought it out before responding. "I am not a submissive man, she is not a submissive woman. It's a draining type of exhausting when both of us are fighting for dominance more than trying to please the other. I think someone like your academy teacher would be much more her style,"

Giggling Sakura felt better knowing that he had no lingering desire before his comment strayed towards talk of Iruka-sensei. "Naruto putting you in his matchmaker talks?" She teased knowing that the blonde knucklehead was hell-bent on matching up his friends and loved ones since he tied the knot with Hinata. He'd gotten most of the rookie nine down; his own team withstanding.

"He uses talk of other people and their matchmaking to lead into my love life or lack thereof. Naruto does not know of my past with you or anyone else. I have half a mind to think he believes I am asexual or a minimum still a virgin." Sakura hid her smile behind her hand, knowing the strong rumors and betting pool behind Gaara's mysteries preferences.

"I think, Naruto was upset when Sasuke and I didn't work out well. We've been on again off again for a while but I blew up on him one day when he refused to stay in town for your sister's wedding. If I seemed a little off then it was because I told him if he left and didn't support Temari and all of our friends he couldn't come back to my place again." Sakura finished. Looking down at her skirt she ruffled the hem of the dress before Gaara's voice broke the silence.

"I forgive you."

"What?" She gasped looking up at him.

"In the war, your confession. You running to him. I forgive you. We never talked about your feelings for Sasuke and I'm sure between the fighting and everything you never sorted out your feelings for him over me or the reverse. I've had years to think about how you would feel in that situation and I forgive you. Sakura I-"

"Stop." Sakura interrupted, gritting her teeth and sighing.

"I don't _deserve_ your forgiveness for that Gaara."

"You were _nothing_ but good and kind and amazing to me when all you had to be was my lord commander. I did work out my feelings and I chose you back then Gaara. But.." She paused and decided that if she ever was to really start something different and new. To try and make them work she had to tell him.

"Something happened in the war and I didn't feel like I deserved you anymore. I clung to what was familiar and hoped you would move on and be with someone who was worthy of you."

"Sakura." Gaara paused, staring at her as she rambled through, "What happened?

"It's a long story."

"If only we were on a long dinner date with two courses ahead of us."


	14. Chapter 14

Sakura was not often a very stupid woman. However, she did regularly put others needs before her own. Currently, Sakura was sitting in a chair, waiting rather impatiently for Tsunade to come back with her mandatory health check. All high ranking officers had to get their health screened at least once a month to confirm that they were fit for duty. Tapping her foot she groaned and yelled out.

"Tsunade-shishou come on! I have to be back in the field. I know I need more sleep and I need to eat more but we're at war. So yell at me later and give me a slap on the wrist so I can get back to my job."

Standing up Sakura paused as her teacher re entered looking slightly pale. "That's just it Sakura. You're not perfectly healthy, per-say."

Sakura immediately sat back down in the chair, shocked at the statement that she was somewhat ill. What could have happened in the last month that had changed her condition?

"So, what medicine do I need to take to get better?"

Sitting across from her Tsunade sighed and thought for a moment, her brow furrowed as she tried to explain it.

"Well, I can get rid of the problem today, but you're going to want to think about it. Sakura-I well I don't know how to do this politely so I won't. You're pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Sakura felt her whole world shift.

She felt herself say the word but she didn't feel her own lips moving. She felt so out of her body and she couldn't believe this was happening. Sakura used a justu. Right after but, it wasn't full proof and the stronger the chakra of the partner the less effective the justu worked. Gaara did say he always had power spikes during the full moon. He always said he felt so animalistic and there was a bruise under her breastbone that fully proved how much he went for his more carnal desires then.

"Sakura, I can't let you be on the battlefield pregnant. I can give you a bit of time and turn a blind eye but I don't think this war will be over in a month and I won't let you be in your second trimester on the battlefield." The 5th Hokage stated, a frown evident on her face.

"So what are my options?" She asked not fully registering that she had a life inside her. Growing inside her. She had Gaara's child in her.

"You leave. You go home before your next check in, Or we abort the child."

"No." It was almost before Sakura could think about it.

"I can't decide that right now. I'm needed here. I have a place on the battlefield; you put me in this position yourself." She argued, but she couldn't bring herself to kill off what was no doubt made with love and affection and tenderness. She didn't even know what she would do. Motherhood isn't something she pictured now but abortion was never in the picture.

"I'll decide before the month is out I promise, but please give me the time I need." She sighed, gripping the fabric of her knee pad and angry over yet another thing she couldn't control about her life.

"Alright one month Sakura, but until then I'm treating this like any pregnancy and you're going to have to eat better. Get some rest, and really pace yourself. Your chakra controls won't be as they normally are so I'm going to schedule some trainings on dealing with a foreign chakra in your body." Nodding Sakura understood Tsunade's terms and moved to stand.

"And Sakura one more thing."

"Yes Shishou?"

"Who is the father?"

Sakura clenched her jaw, not looking at her teacher. She was not ready to tell her, nor any of their group she was seeing Gaara. However, it obviously wasn't Sasuke.

"Do you need to know?" She questioned hating the tremble that left her voice.

"I do in fact. No two pregnancies are alike but certain traits are more common than others depending on the clan. Most Uchiha births have a risk of anemia. The Nara family is widely known for the horrible morning sickness that happens in month two. Even Temari was telling

me earlier that in her family they have a tradition of gaining a huge aversion of dairy products while pregnant. If I know the father I can prep for what you might go through."

Pausing, and realizing that she just got a glimpse into what her own pregnancy may be like without her teacher even realizing it, not that she had decided to keep it yet, that was still on the back burner of her mind, sakura took a deep breath and whispered out.

"Gaara."

"What?"

"The father is Gaara."

Tsunade dropped her pen and stared at her blankly for a moment before closing her eyes and exhaling sharply through her nose.

"Fuck."

"What?"

"Sakura you know that just because of who the father is, your already too dangerous to be here pregnancy just turned into one of the most guarded things in this camp now?"

"Tsunade shishou I really don't think-"

"No Sakura I don't think you understand. Ignoring the fact that it's Gaara and you just decided to make one of the most dangerous and volatile men on our side have something widely distracting to think about. You just got knocked up by the Suna royal family. Their clan name isn't Sabuko, it's the Kazekage clan."

Pointing to her still flat stomach Tsunade added sharply. "You my dear have the next kazekage in your womb. You now hold the five nations in a dis-balance so strong that it could very well start a war the second we finish this one."

Sakura felt sick. She hadn't even worked out what her relationship to Gaara was now, let alone after the war was over. Now she had to add on the fact that this was probably the biggest power grabs the five shinobi nations had seen in decades. She didn't need to think about this now but who really couldn't handle this was...

"Gaara. Don't tell him."

"Sakura, you don't honestly think I can keep this kind of secret from him? He's the lord commander of this entire army, this is active treason."

"Then I'm asking you to turn a blind eye for a month. No one outside this tent knows I'm pregnant and no one will till I've decided what I'm going to do. Gaara is the lord commander and he doesn't need to be constantly fretting over me when he has a war to win. For all he knows in a months time I won't even be pregnant and I will have distracted him for nothing."

"Sakura, this is not some child's game here."

"That is why shishou, I'm asking you to give me time to think about what I should do. I will tell him before the month is out if I plan to keep it, but if I don't... I don't want him to know at all." She sighed knowing that no one needed this added stress, least of all him.

"Fine, I don't like any of this Sakura but I said I'd give you a month and I will. However, I have to ask, how serious are you two?"

Pausing to stand, Sakura moved out to head back to work, not facing her teacher as she responded, "More serious than either of us expected. I think he loves me." Walking more she opened the tent to leave before adding,

"And I'm terrified that I think I love him back."

—-

Sakura felt like she was in a daze as she walked back to her tent. It was adjacent to Gaara's and she had a bit of time to herself before he would come check on her after his evening meetings. She had probably five minutes to relax and re-center her mind before she would finish up her shift at the base hospital and return to Gaara with dinner.

"I can do this. I am Sakura Haruno, member of the legendary team seven. Successor to the Slug Princess. Greatest medic of my generation. This is nothing I can't handle." But oh how she wished she could talk to someone about what she was going through.

Sakura ended up working straight through dinner, and then even later. She tried telling herself that the work on a battlefield always piled up, but she really knew she was just avoiding Gaara. Walking back into her tent she wasn't surprised to see him.

"You make me look lazy with the way you work." He chuckled standing up from reading a scroll. "I'm going to assume you skipped dinner." He asked walking towards her.

Sakura nodded briefly, not trusting her words too much around him.

"You should take better care of yourself Sakura, you're important to many people plus." He chuckled uncovering a simple sandwich for her.

"Naruto made me promise to protect you and if he thinks I'm mistreating you I'm sure that he would smash my head in." Looking at her with one of his soft smiles Sakura sat down and let a bit of her fatigue show.

"It's not your fault. I always do this. Naruto is used to yelling at me for overworking, I guess now it's your turn." She sighed looking at the food and trying to find the will not to simply pass out in her cot.

"I'm a little harsh when I yell." He paused moving to run a set of fingers through her hair. "But I can just try to take care of you when you are finally worn out, and encourage you to pace yourself a bit better. I really can't run my army without a medic core."

Sakura chuckled and nodded, hating how tender Gaara was being to her. Eating silently she paused to look up at the kazekage and frowned at his tense look.

"What's wrong?"

Turning away from her he sighed and spoke simply. "I need to send you on a mission in a a week." Finishing her sandwich she sat up strongly and smiled at him.

"What is the mission?"

"It's a tip, a way to possibly get one of the closest informants for the Akatsuki permanently. He's a close range fighter and a poison specialist. One of Sasori's pupils I believe."

Nodding Sakura thought about her own fight with the legendary ninja. Looking at Gaara she noticed his distress and frowned, "What's wrong Gaara? This mission is perfect for me I won't let you down I promise."

"Sakura I don't want to send you at all." He blurted out and Sakura clinched her hand.

"Gaara I can take care of myself just fine I assure you. I am not some weak thing anymore."

"I know."

"Then what is it?"

"I-I made a promise to protect you and this is the exact opposite. I'm sending you straight into the arms of the enemy Sakura."

"You know we're at war. If Naruto cared that much about this promise he wouldn't want me to fight at all. We are ninja this is our ninja way."

"Sakura that's not who I made a promise to. Naruto asked me to look out for you, to have your back and to protect one of his important people in battle. This promise to keep you always safe is something... I made to myself."

"Why would you do something so silly Gaara? It's not smart and you've never been a dumb man."

"Because Sakura I, I." He clinched his fist and looked up at her.

"Sakura I'm in love with you. If something happened to you out there I don't know if I could survive."

"Gaara." She couldn't do this right now. She didn't need to hear this. This was supposed to be a fling. She wasn't from Suna. Konoha was her home. Konoha was her life. But Gaara, Gaara was everything she ever wanted a lover to be. Everything she thought Sasuke to be.

This war, their villages, stupid Sasuke and the place he had in her hear, plus the damn pregnancy was all too much to handle. Sakura couldn't help but start crying, unable to express what was wrong with her.

"Sakura, Sakura, what's wrong?" Gaara quickly dropped to his knees pulling her into his arms for a hug. She was so stupid. Temari warned her of this, begged her not to do this to her baby brother. They were in a war against a man that an entire army knew she was in love with and she was. But she knew, just as she knew with the second chakra inside her she loved Gaara, so she cried. Unable to explain herself or understand her own emotions she just cried in the arms of her red headed lover and before she knew it she was asleep in his arms.

When Sakura awoke the next morning it was early. She was wrapped up in Gaara's arms and a part of her never wanted to leave her bed in her tent. Turning towards the sleeping lord commander she placed a kiss on his forehead, on that kanji that meant so much to him and then life a spark of realization hit her she knew. It all came to her.

 _I'll finish this mission, there's no one better suited for it than me then I'll tell him. I'll tell him I love him and I'll tell him about the baby. He'll be mad but I'll do my part. I'll be by his side and since it's the heir he'll want to protect it. Tsunade told me I can't fight not that I can't heal. I'll tell Gaara everything as soon as I complete this mission. I'll tell him I want to be one of his important people too._


	15. Chapter 15

Sakura spent the next six days before her mission exhausted. She still had her regular shifts in the field but with Tsunade watching over her like a hawk and adding their extra training she practically collapsed on her bed every night.

When she wasn't asleep it seemed almost like Gaara had an alarm to know and would absolutely ravish her with every extra second. She was in pain or ecstasy at nearly every corner of the day and if she didn't have the looming thought that she was pregnant in her mind Sakura knew that she would be in her own type of paradise.

Lying in Gaara's bed on the last night before her mission, Sakura stared at her body. One that was thoroughly covered in bruises from the multitude of romps they had. Moving to trace nonsensical designs on his arm, Sakura broke the silence. "I have to leave early tomorrow. It's a bit of a journey to the land of tea from here." A silent _I won't deny you if you decide to keep me up all night so please don't_ expressed between her words.

"Hmm." The redhead mumbled, looking down at her in his arms and studying her. It seemed like he needed to say, to do, something but instead, he simply gathered a trail of sand and attached it onto her skin. It hardened into a darker color and the image was similar to the Suna ANBU tattoo.

"You have my protection, it won't fall off until you return to me or are…" The insinuation of her death was one he wasn't willing to say and she ached to know it hurt him to treat her like any other shinobi in his army.

"And here I thought this was your way of headhunting me into your ANBU special forces."She chuckled pulling him in for a kiss.

"I'm sure it goes without saying if you desired a transfer I would take you with open arms." He chuckled returning her kiss. "Plus if you walked around with that tattoo on your arm I'm sure you'd give two villages of shinobi a year of gossip."

Laughing lightly Sakura looked at the grainy structure and felt the fine abrasion on her skin. If she wore it long enough she'd have strong enough discoloration on her skin for it to be a long-lasting mark.

"That'll give me something think about." She chuckled running her fingers through his hair. "I'll give yummy thoughts on what it would take to do a small leave in Suna when I come back ok?" She yawned and Gaara silently nodded, curling her up in his arms and Sakura allowed herself a few moments of peace.

She left before dawn, her mission bag packed the night before and her clothes fully ready to slip on as she left Gaara's tent. Rushing off silently she went on her mission.

It would take most of the day to reach the tip of the rendezvous point in the land of Tea and Sakura wasted no time. This was her chance to cut off a major information source to the Akatsuki and she wasn't about to waste it. A fitting final mission for her, at least until after the sixth kazekage was born.

Chuckling to herself at the lunacy of her 100% true statement, Sakura quickened her pace to see if she would have time to rest and possibly eat something before spotting the informant.

Glancing up at the sky with heaving breaths Sakura knew she had about twenty minutes before sundown. Hiding in a tree with proper vantage points, Sakura masked her chakra and moved to catch her breath.

Twenty minutes turned into thirty. Thirty minutes turned into an hour, and an hour turned into two. Sighing to herself Sakura adjusted her position and half wondered if the tip was false.

"Some student of Sasori's, that monster was never late." She whispered to herself and jolted as a senbon flew at her. Instantly on her guard she Sakura gazed up at long white hair and frighteningly pale skin.

"Sasori-sama is dead. I can be late all I damn well please."She giggled and Sakura frowned at the woman in front of her. A slashed mist headband was lassoed around her waist and Sakura waited patiently for the next move. This was her. They called her the water scorpion.

"Pink ey? Sasori-sama really had a thing for women with pretty hair. Did the pervert try to make you a puppet." Sakura shuddered at the memory of Sasori's proposition to her years ago. Looking at the woman Sakura tried to see if she had any parts that were a puppet.

"I guess you said no as well. No matter do you have what we talked about?" She giggled and the girlish lilt in her voice irked Sakura to no end.

Stepping closer and moving to throw the pile of coins Gaara suggested she pack in case the informants didn't know one another, Sakura added with the supposed password. "Pein is god and pleasure is the devil. Who do you worship?"

Rolling her eyes the girl threw a puppet string at the coins and opened them, counting them at a glance.

"Money is the only thing that makes the world go round. This one was the most stupid phrase." She added pocketing the coins and reaching into her pocket for what Sakura assumed was the scroll of intel.

When the girl through back a senbon sakura quickly deflected it and frowned. White hair flowed in the wind and the water scorpion grasped a loose strand, hardening it with chakra and turning it into a senbon.

"And also last week's phrase. Looks like the last guy got sloppily caught. What a shame." She giggled throwing a barrage of senbon towards Sakura and the pink kunoichi dodged as many as she could before honing chakra into her fist, slamming it in the earth and attempting to send the other woman flying.

"Looks like you're going to also be just a shame as well." Sakura started to laugh before finding a spark of pain run through her abdomen.

"How?" She questioned looking at the girl in front of her before noticing a white hair on her own shoulder. Ripping it off and noticing the sting that followed Sakura gasped.

"Exactly. Smart little kunoichi. My hair is embedded with chakra and acts as a homing beacon to my senbon. You're as good as a dead little flower.

Sakura cringed but knew her poison immunity was stronger than most and she had at least a day to get to Tsunade. Clinching her fist Sakura grinned and responded, "Not before you."

Sakura was long range, but she could fight up close. The girl wasn't used to her earth range attacks but Sakura couldn't seem to wear her out she had to find a weakness and punch her way through it.

"You know, You seem like you're upset you didn't become Sasori's little puppet." Sakura saw a spark of interest and the senbon were slightly more erratic. Moving slightly closer Sakura laughed and added,

"Sure you just aren't jealous? I bet he didn't even offer you. Did he even allow you to take the name Scorpion or did you just steal it?" The girl's eyes flashed with anger and she charged, giving Sakura the opening she needed.

Charging forward and thanking Lee for increasing her speed with his training, Sakura moved to land one blow, wincing as hair landed like acid on her body.

Sakura landed her punch and sent her spiraling back into a tree. Taking a deep breath Sakura walked over to the girl and grinned. "You do stupid things when you're in love."

Checking the water scorpion's vital signs Sakura winced that she had punctured a lung. She had minutes at most.

"Any last words?" Sakura asked, crouching down to grasp the scroll on enemy's side. Wrapping it up in her own pouch.

"You'll catch up soon. My hair is dripping in the same poison, you'll be dead by morning. And he gave it."

Frowning, Sakura allowed herself to sit, feeling a bit heavy and scratching her arm, Gaara's sand starting to irritate her more and more.

"Gave it?"

"Sasori-sama. He-he gave me my code name. He was a good teacher. I was just too stupid not to fall in love with him." She coughed and even as Sakura's own eyes felt droopy, and her arm felt like it was covered in fire ants, she couldn't help but feel bad for the girl. Downing on your own breath was a horrid way to die. Her poison felt like falling asleep.

"You should find someone better. He wasn't even a real man. Your poison making is really good. I'll give you that much."

"He taught me this poison, in lesser doses, it's a sleep aid. You wouldn't know anything about a real man." She spoke before strangling out a cough. Sakura swore she saw a flash of red in the night sky but honestly couldn't be bothered to keep her eyes open too long.

"But maybe you're learning about a real man." Sakura could hear the woman's voice sound choked and strangled like she was being buried. But it all went to black soon enough, her arm is on fire the last moment on her mind.

Sakura was out for days. Each muscle and organ struggling to fight the poison and live. Her intel did prove to be vital. There was information on the Zetsu army, the rising kages the reanimated Akatsuki. It turned things so hugely in their favor that Gaara at times felt slightly less like a complete failure.

He went to Naruto first. Begging for forgiveness for fucking up but in true Naruto fashion, the blonde reminded Gaara that the only reason she had a chance of survival was because of him. That sakura had built up an immunity to so many poisons that only Tsunade rivaled her. That anyone else would have been already dead. But Sakura won her mission they had a plan and they could win this. Really could this time.

It was about a week later when Sakura woke up. Gaara infinitely angry after the fact that his father chose to fight him on that day, but learning the truth about his mother and Sakura being alive was a little too much joy for the young kazekage to feel.

When Sakura awoke she felt heavy but refreshed, as if nothing less than her oversleeping had happened. Seeing her shishou checking over her charts Sakura coughed to reset her throat.

"How long?"

"About six days. Your practicing to build up poison immunities really did help you out. But you're not 100%, a poison built to make the body think it's dying in its sleep is hard to cure." She smiled strained and Sakura sat up to question the Hokage when she felt the bandages on her body.

"I couldn't save the fetus. It tore through one of your ovaries and ripped a hole in your uterus. It'll be years before you've even scarred enough for me to heal you into being able to get pregnant again."

At one moment Sakura felt like screaming. She murdered her baby. Carelessly poisoned them and didn't even attempt to think about their health. Sakura felt like throwing up. All she wanted to do was scream or cry, but she just felt like she was numb. She couldn't see Gaara. Telling him what she did was unforgivable. That she had lost their child and it was her own stupid fault.

"You know pretty much the rest." Sakura sighed, sipping their after-dinner coffee and not willing to look at him in the face.

"I pushed myself into my work. I had to see friends, family, loved ones all die. By the time I saw Naruto and Sasuke looking like they would kill each other I didn't think. I loved Sasuke I did. I told him so. I told him I would do anything to keep him home and safe and with people that he loved. I know now how that must have made you feel. I was at one point teasing you with moving to Suna and then right in front of you and an entire army confessing that I would love and be with Sasuke forever if he just stopped." She sighed and looked down, biting her lip not to cry.

"So you gained Sasuke back, and I was hurt. I lashed out at you not knowing what you were going through and honestly not willing to ask. I told you we were through and that you could go.. god, I need to apologize for what I said to you." Gaara added, gripping her hand and Sakura gasped as she looked up at him. He didn't look mad. He didn't look upset. He looked understanding.

"No, you were upset and honestly right. After what I did to you I did sound like what I was." She still cringed at the thought though.

—

 _"_ _Gaara, Gaara wait." The hospital was jam-packed with people now that the war was over. The last few weeks seemed to do nothing but escalate and she barely had time to sleep let alone talk to the man that was her lover for over a year in battle._

 _"_ _What?" He growled not looking at her. Gripping his arm and trying to turn him around Gaara quickly removed her hand from his._

 _"_ _I wanted to talk to you. I don't know when I'll see you again and I wanted to see you before you left for Suna."_

 _"_ _Why, you clearly made your point that we have nothing to talk about." He growled and added, "it was fun while it lasted but you and I have nothing now. I will go back to Suna where I belong and you should stay where you belong."_

 _"_ _Gaara please." Sakura attempted but for the first time in her life she was scared at the look, he gave her._

 _"_ _No, I want no part in entertaining some leaf whore. You like betraying people great. Go warm the bed of the Uchiha, he seems perfect for you."_

"I'm sorry for what I said then Sakura. You did not deserve to be called those things. I was hurt and upset and while that doesn't excuse what I said.."

"No I deserved it. I was wrong and stupid and so scared about losing your child that I wanted to hear you be awful to me. I wanted to be hurt so that I could explain the pain I felt losing your child."

"Sakura that wasn't your fault. That was in battle. I blamed myself for years for my mother dying in childbirth but that wasn't my fault and neither was our son dying yours." He smiled and wiped a stray tear Sakura didn't know she shed.

"You're not mad?"

"Maybe a little about not knowing at the time so I could have made the death of that informant as painful as possible." He chuckled and Sakura couldn't help but laugh at the morbid sense of humor Gaara would sometimes show.

"But you, never. We weren't too ready to be parents then anyway. I have plenty of time for a son now in times of peace. Plus visiting your child would be a great bargaining tool to get you to move to the land of Wind." He laughed and motioned for the waiter to come with the check.

"Slow down tiger. I just agreed to date you again. And why are you so certain it was a boy?" She asked laughing.

"Shukaku was entangled in my body for decades. He would often call me cub and when we made an agreement about my lessening of bloodshed he would give me advice with the excuse I would understand when I have sons of my own. Never a daughter, in fact, he always said It would be the end of the world if I had a daughter." He laughed and Sakura was shocked that she agreed with the one tail.

"You're a little overprotective at the best of times. You having a daughter would be terrifying for all involved." She giggled and watched as Gaara paid the tab and held out his hand for her to take.

"So we'll have sons then. Nicely settled." He mused and Sakura lightly punched his arm, feeling eons lighter after finally revealing the truth and surprised how well he took the news.

"You're really not mad?"

"Mad you had a miscarriage no. Mad you didn't trust me to share your burden, maybe a little. However, I understand your reasoning and I would have sent you straight home immediately. I wouldn't have given you the choice to stay and you saved so many lives that wouldn't be here if I had, Naruto's included." He smiled kissing her forehead.

"If my son died to save millions I'm not going to be mad. I'm proud. But no more secrets ok? I've got a country to run don't make me spend resources throwing private investigators your way."

Laughing Sakura walked him to the VIP compound and went to bid him good evening when she smelled blood and gasped at a severely injured Wisteria, holding a middle-aged man in her arms.

"Gaara-sama, Sakura-san. I-I don't know what else to do I. He's dying and I, I can't let him die not now please."

"Who is this Wisteria, what's wrong?" Gaara asked as Sakura sent down to examine them both.

While injured, Wisteria's vitals were stable, what was most concerning were the spiking and falling vitals of the man in her arms. Pulling back the cape and gasping at the familiar locks of red hair Wisteria sobbed out,

"my father, he's alive."

AN:/ Finally got to the meat of things here. Fun right? Well now we get to the real plot of it all. it'll get less fluff more action but I gotta have my witty banter. Hope you're excited for my next installment and I've been loving the support and comments. Ready to see where the wind takes us next?


	16. Chapter 16

Sakura was absolutely in awe. She tried to make sense of the situation but the strangely fluctuating vitals of what was supposed to be Askuna no Sasori were currently taking up a large majority of her time.

"What happened?" Sakura asked, accepting that she took an oath as a medic and vitally dangerous criminal or not Sasori had a mind not seen in decades for poison and he is still considered one of the greatest puppet makers ever. Even today, all of the best puppet makers either had a red scorpion design or something inspired by him. If she could heal him enough to use his brain that would alone be a gift the modern world and Shinobi world would be thankful for. If only she didn't retch at the site of seeing him in front of her again.

"I found one of his summons, well actually it's one of my summons. Asura is a scorpion, he's meant for infiltration and protection. His poison is fast acting and strong. When I saw him on the edges of the land of fire I knew something was up." Wisteria started, running her fingers through his hair and sobbing. She looked nothing like the poised and controlled woman that Sakura had seen her and it shook the rosette to see the woman so disturbed.

Looking up at Gaara Sakura scanned for silent approval. Sasori was in part one of the men who killed him. He was known to have assassinated his grandfather the third kazekage and he was one of the members of the Akatsuki. However, it was Sasori's tip that gave them an edge in the battle to begin with and Sasori's students that always had the most information and were the most vital. In a sick twisted way they wouldn't have won the war without Sasori.

Seeing his nod Sakura sighed and began to heal the Scorpion of the red sand. Placing hands to stabilize him Sakura's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Wisteria what did you do to his body?" She asked staring up at the daughter of her first major kill.

"I-I dug it up." She sniffled looking at his bright red hair.

"Tell me the process of how you reanimated Sasori's corpse and where things went awry." Sakura frowned moving to adjust her process and work to fix petrified muscles and put oxygen into blood vessels. She was doing a similar process to try and reanimate stillborn babes. It wasn't full proof but there was a part of him that was alive. That was enough to try.

"His body was preserved in status. It would be checked up on every year or so and as such it would age a bit with the reanimation, When my father fully went into his puppet body he knew his brain still had all of his memories and knowledge up until that point. As such he put many wards and seal tags to injure anyone who dared to try and steal his body." She paused looking down and sighing at his relaxing breaths.

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and my father knew that it would be something that people would want to steal after he was gone. I'm sure no one would think that he would put his body in the place he hated most."

Fire, why would the land of fire be the place Sasori hated most? He defected from Wind from Suna, raised his child in Kumo, why was fire so hated? Wisteria must have seen Sakura's distress because she answered shortly.

"Your sensei's father, the white fang, murdered my grandparents. I don't think he ever forgave the fire nation for doing that. I don't know if you even knew this but my father was a gentle child. He was soft and delicate. That was something cherished by his parents but not highly valued in the land of wind. They didn't breed happy childhoods in Suna, they bred prodigies. However, my father was different, that was till the third Shinobi war. Everything changed when the fire nation attacked."

Nodding Sakura went back to Sasori, feeling a spike in his vitals. It was like he couldn't decide how old he wanted to be. Was he roughly 27, was he 35, was he in his 40s? His vitals kept flopping between roughly those ages and it was killing him in the process. Sakura needed to stop him she needed to get his body to decide and so she did what she could think of as the best process. She stopped his heart.

It was for four seconds, two rotations of the heartbeat and then she restarted it. His vitals started to stabilize and settle. His chakra pathways started to flow and fill, though at a much weaker rate than someone of his status should, and eventually, chocolate brown eyes opened that looked just like his daughter's. He blinked roughly and his pupils visibly shook till they settled on her. A small smirk on his features he licked his lips and responded.

"Kept me waiting long enough little girl."

—-

Sakura stepped out at that moment. Too shocked to think about the fact that Sasori was alive, not only was he alive but his memories were intact to the point that he remembered being killed by her. She could feel her breathing start to become erratic and Sakura ran away to the point that she felt like she would suffocate if she were any closer.

He was too weak to fight that was for sure. He barely had enough chakra points to teach people how to use chakra strings let alone be the most revered user alive. This wasn't even accounting for how depleted they were. No this Sasori was not the same caliber. This was a Sasori for the new world. But his body and mind belonged to Gaara, a saving grace as she always thought Sasori's most dangerous weapon was his mind.

It was a few hours later that Gaara came to her with a small smile on his face and a cup of tea to offer her. Taking it with shaky hands she sipped it slowly, letting the chamomile soothe her worries and ease her mind.

"He wants to speak to you." Gaara mentioned sitting beside her and Sakura felt her gasp out.

"Why?"

"Well you killed him, you brought him back to life, you're a lot older than when he last saw you would be my guess." He murmured and gripped her free hand in his.

"I broke his hands and he's in a wheelchair at the moment till he recovers his strength. I don't like this any more than you but he's agreed to be corporative he just wants to know how you revived him." Gaara was clearly upset, not willing nor wanting to be in the situation of putting his girlfriend in harms way. Girlfriend, fuck she just decided that she would agree to date the kazekage after essentially promising that she wouldn't compromise her village and her desires when he visited. This was something she would return to as soon as the whole Sasori being alive thing was properly cataloged in her mind.

"Fine, he was adept enough at human anatomy to want to know how he's healing. I suppose I could finish my job as a doctor." She stood, and Gaara gripped her arm before she left.

"He will be tried for his crimes Sakura. He's a genius yes and I'm not the best one to tell someone that they are unredeemable if not given a chance first. But don't think I'm letting him off easy. Suna is becoming a place to raise families to feel safe and to love freely. I won't let one mind ruin my country."

Sakura nodded and moved to walk towards the guest room that she could feel Wisteria's and Sasori's chakra signature. What stopped her from entering was the soft tenor of his voice. He was singing.

"Away, away upon wind we ride the four little runners with four directions they fly,

Borus with his path, Notus with his memory we age and warm towards the desert sky.

Away, away upon we ride, my climbing little flower will soon touch the sky. Eurus she'll ride till she reaches the sun but Zephyrus my pet will bring her back home."

Wisteria seemed to kick in, finishing up the tale and Sakura felt a pain in her heart feeling the love and emotion she felt in the song.

"Away away, upon wind did she ride. She traveled so far and she flew way up high. The things that she saw could fill up a tome, but all she wants now is her scorpion and her throne."

The two were together now, a nice harmony and Sakura couldn't bare to interrupt the song till it was done.

"Away, away upon wind we ride, the four little runners come home now tonight. With flowers on their back, and a story in their soul. Till the winds call them back, or the throne calls them home."

Knocking softly on the door Sakura opened it slightly taking in the sight of father and daughter. Sasori looked to be about 33 to 35. He had shaggy red hair that gave him a bit more of a boyish face but his jaw line had sharpened more than his puppet body had and he had a few faded scars on his arms . He really did have strong genes and looking at Wisteria the two really did look alike.

"You wanted me to inform you on how I reanimated you?" Sakura whispered out, unsure of how she should feel.

"Treat it more like a curiosity. I've never felt better being revived and this is without all my chakra points in tact. Though I supposed you've ruined all the ones in my puppet vessel." Sasori smirked and Sakura felt in awe that a man with two broken hands and was too weak to stand still managed to seem like he was fully in control.

"I treated you like a stillborn for your body. Re energizing your muscles and adding oxygen to your blood vessels. Your body couldn't decide how old you were and so I stopped and restarted your heart and it chose the medium setting of what you were switching to."

Nodding Sasori lifted an arm in an attempt to inform her to come closer. Stepping marginally closer to him, Sakura tried to keep her breathing steady.

"Clever girl. You've grown up since I last saw you. Tell me, what has happened since my passing?" Sasori questioned and Sakura bit her lip, unsure of how to respond.

"What do you remember?"

"Ah I suppose you would be unsure . I vaguely remember fighting the puppeteer whose my poison you cured him from. He's taken over as head of the puppet brigade by now I'm sure. I hope he's made good use of my puppet corpse. I'm not exactly one to let just anyone use my body little girl." He teased before raising an eyebrow.

"Though I guess now you're not so little. Never mind you were always close enough in age to Wisteria that I don't think I'll ever get out of the habit of calling you little girl. Even if you mastered the Yin Seal." Sakura gasped and placed a hand on her forehead.

"That's quite an accomplishment. I commend you. I thought about that form of immortality myself when I was working with the other Sannin. I'm not too patient though. I've answered your question girl. Answer mine. What has happened since my passing? It's been what 8, 10 years?"

Swallowing what felt like a giant ball of sand in her throat Sakura responded. "It will be ten years since our battle with your grandmother. We've been living in peace between the five nations. You're actually in Konoha now. Gaara-kun has made Suna rather prosperous and we are living in a mostly civilian society these days.

Nodding Sasori clicked his tongue and smirked. "Then I have no plans on dying anytime soon. My mind for poisons easily was transitioned into perfumes or tonics. My puppet mastery would be essential in either robotics or the toy industry. Suna can go from prosperous to the richest of the five nations with my assistance." Sakura scoffed at that and went to turn away.

This cocky bastard. He murdered the third kazekage. Killed countless people, was a part of the Akatsuki and yet he thinks they'll just Let them walk? Turning to walk away Sasori asked simply.

"Is my student Kabuto still alive?" Freezing Sakura nodded and turned towards him.

"Yes, he is why?"

"Then we have a mission kunoichi. I need to pick up a few items from him and return them to their proper home. Less they end up in the wrong hands and let four of the five Shinobi nations find each other's dirty little secrets."

Clinching her fist Sakura nodded and went to go inform Gaara. God she knew this was a bad idea from the start. Red heads were nothing but trouble.


	17. Chapter 17

_Red heads are nothing but trouble._

Was what Sakura thought was the problem, but after sitting around watching the two red heads do what the rookie nine called 'Suna quality time' and stare at one another silently for the past hour, she was beginning to think the place of birth was more the issue than the color of their hair.

Moving to stand Sakura decided that whatever Gaara wanted was going to wait till morning. She was tired, it had been a long day and she had appointments in the morning. Gaara had a meeting with Kakashi first thing and Kankuro should be back from his boys night with Kiba pretty soon. Stalling Sakura felt the red heads' gaze shift to her.

"Moving to warm the kazekage's bed little girl?" Sakura bristled and went to speak before Gaara beat her to it.

"Tread lightly on how you address Sakura. I would really love to give a little payback to the feeling of Shukaku being ripped from my body."

Sakura could practically feel the chill in the air as a little bit of the old Gaara bled through. He was always possessive and in the presence of Sasori he could afford to be.

"Papa, Gaara-sama is a good man. Don't tease him with his relationships please. It'll only make your situation worse." Wisteria added, placing a gentle hand on his knee. It seemed the other woman in the room had regained her persona as the kazekage's aid, even if she was next to her formerly deceased father.

Sasori looked up at her daughter and the way she looked at Gaara and let his calm demeanor sour slightly.

"You've touched my daughter."

Gaara stood straight and placed hands over his chest , a classic pose for the man that at this moment carried all the intimidation of him in battle.

"I had no ill will towards Wisteria then, and our relationship is entirely professional now." The silent threat to drop the issue made clear, though it seemed like Sasori didn't care.

"Fucking clan is all the same. Can't keep their dicks out of my family." He murmured and the twitch of Gaara's fingers were the only tell to Sakura how much he was holding back.

"I am not. My father, I am not my grandfather. I don't know if Rasa did anything to your family but I take no part in any of the bad decisions he did. I was not there for the reign of the third nor can I shed life to any of the many stories about him, good or bad."

Sasori scoffed and turned, a sick grin on his face as it settled on Sakura.

"I bet you don't know the trail of blood and wail that his line has spread do you kunoichi? Rasa was a military genius and it was but a shame my old partner assassinated him. Even in his ruthlessness he still had all the gifts the kazekage clan were known for. Incredibly smart, legends in battle, captivating, someone who had men and women falling at their feet for decades to come. None was more so than the third." He gripped out and Sakura glanced only for a moment as she questioned when he had healed his fingers, or exactly how much medical justu he knew.

"The third was a man with our special kekei genkai. The Iron Sand. Gaara never manifested it but it changes the chemical compounds in the sand that a few of us can manipulate into a finer, stronger material. The third was scared it wouldn't manifest in any of his natural bloodline so he, spread his oats. There's probably dozens of bastards running around the city, a second or even third generation to bet that can use his technique. But the man never married after his first wife, a treaty with Iwa for peace I'm nearly positive."

Sakura paused and had a thought, Sasori was brilliant, he was captivating, but he was always cool headed. What about his most famous kill made him so unsettled?

"You two were lovers." She paused, moving to think about the puppet sitting in Kankuro's quarters.

"He fooled me better than most but I was a child. 17 and thinking I belonged with someone. Someone who got me, understood me. But I was just another pretty face and a dedicated soldier. So when he wanted to spread his bloodline, he couldn't exactly have any participants who couldn't play."

Sakura added before anyone else, feeling the tension build.

"So you murdered him for breaking your heart."

"No little girl. I murdered him because I wasn't the only child he was with, I was just one who couldn't birth him any heirs. He was a tyrant and birthed tyrants." He seethed and stared up at Gaara.

"You're probably right." Gaara commented and both Sakura and Wisteria turned shocked.

"Suna was a place that did not raise children. We raised prodigies. We were and still are a country that builds warriors but back then we thought anything that wasn't related directly to a warrior was lesser. I'm no one to talk about murder and even less so about acting violently to someone who was close to me and hurt me. That being said this is not the land I have now. Suna is prosperous. We have laughter and we are growing. Do not give my nation the same treatment you would have in my father's Suna." He finished and Sasori paused thinking.

"Better man than Rasa and and the third I could give you. But your clan is my problem not the wind. The kazekage clan is always the same. Your hands must be in every battle, every plan, every bed. I don't like that you touched my daughter and I will make sure you don't again. I don't like that your current conquest is my little kunoichi. I had already desired her to be a puppet in my former life and I like to keep tabs on my students and creations.

"I am not your creation nor your student!" Sakura seethed, moving to pound him before being stopped by Gaara. His eyes were hardened but his voice was soft.

"Don't"

"But this asswipe."

"Needs to be dealt with by the kazekage and the hokage. Together. I am in his land I will not disrespect him with this."

"But I am not in anyway his student."

"Oh that I actually disagree." And the three turned to find Wisteria holding her father down by a hand on his shoulder.

"You're worthy enough to become a puppet. You take his advice, met his other pupils and test your skill, your poison mastery is legendary and you even practice his rules of immortality. You might be his best student Sakura-san."

"You're wrong." Sasori chuckled and placed a tender hand on his daughter's.

"I am sure given a few actual lessons Sakura will come to the fold of the scorpion but Wisteria you will always be my best pupil. It took me a while to see how you've restrained all of us from our spots but I'm impressed. Six chakra strings thin enough to be undetected and given a small window of give.

Sakura looked down and saw it, on their ankles tiny little chakra strings leading up to Wisteria that quickly dissipated as she saw them.

"Gaara-sama. The Hokage is coming for a breakfast meeting at 8. I will watch over my father until then. You two should retire until morning when we can plan to head out to find Kabuto. If my father says he has secrets the other five nations shouldn't see about the others I find that in the highest priority." She responded quickly to prevent the conversation Gaara clearly wanted to have about his aide restraining him.

Sighing Sakura nodded and moved to leave taking Gaara's hand with her.

Stepping thusly out of the vip compound and finding a laughing Kiba and Kankuro stumble in. Stepping aside so the brothers could chat and seeing the sobriety run through the eldest Sabuko sibling as he ran in, Gaara sighed and turned towards Sakura.

"Great way to end a first date right?" Sakura moved to laugh and she held his hand.

"Reviving an old enemy and opening up a closed murder case in the middle of the night is a great way to start a relationship." Pausing as he wrapped her up in his arms she sighed.

"Let's put us on hold till this whole sasori thing is sorted. I'll see you in the morning after my hospital shift and we'll go for there." She asked and was relieved to see him nod in agreement.

"I will work with Kakashi and deal with this as best I can. I will assume he will want you on the mission and as my ninja, missing or otherwise, I will not support a mission without myself present."

"First date dinner, second date reconnaissance mission." Sakura laughed.

"It's still a first for us. We've never done a mission without the rest of team seven." Leaning up to kiss him sweetly Sakura turned to leave.

"Kunoichi." Sakura turned towards the kazekage and felt the sand on her wrist swirl.

"Don't ever take it off. I am merciful for Sasori now, it does not mean I trust him."


	18. Chapter 18

Gaara's sand was quite a unique being. After the war, he realized it was a living sacrifice of his mother's chakra that was embedded into the gourd he so commonly wore. Therefore the sand had a bit of a sentient personality; a motherly, protective instinct that was not often seen nor even heard about in other justu. Sakura had a piece of that sand, embedded with Gaara's chakra as well and she saw how it ebbed and flowed with her.

The sand was strangely smooth and seemed to understand the instances of her daily life. One morning when Sakura had to perform a delicate heart surgery; it moved up to her bicep without her asking as if it knew she needed her hands free. It was nearly ecstatic when Sakura was assisting in the birth of a baby girl. The sand even would dance and play fun tricks for babies and kids while she needed to give them a shot. All in all the little pile of grains were quite the attentive assistant and not one she expected to enjoy having on her. She may even ask if she could keep the bracelet after Gaara left for the comfort of Suna. It was about two days after when she was having a cup of tea that the sand immediately left her side and she soon heard a knock on the door.

Opening it and grinning at the redhead in front of her, only to frown that there was another, At first assuming it was one of Gaara's personal ANBU; come after his own counsel heard about the rebirth of Sasori, Sakura grimaced as the other man removed his mask and revealed it to be the older redhead beside him, now standing; Sakura sighed and moved to let the two in.

"You're still alive I see, and now standing." Sakura gave him a look up and down and went to pour both of them a cup of tea.

"I am weaker not an invalid little kunoichi. I doubt that the leaf would understand the will of a true Shinobi but your beloved kazekage was surprised I wasn't walking sooner." Sasori scoffed before sitting down and flicking through a medical textbook Sakura was using to brush up on the latest technologies used in common surgeries.

"Sasori has recovered adequately, he has chatted with the Hokage and we have set up a meeting with Kabuto so that we can retrieve Sasori's scrolls. He" Gaara added pointing to the other redhead.

"Has requested that you come as the representative of the leaf, and pending your acceptance, you have a mission to complete. I will be going alongside you and Wisteria and Kankuro will be taking over my place in the meetings. It should take no longer than two days to retrieve them and one of my summonses will inform Kakashi on which ninja should be requested to receive their own information back for safekeeping."

Sakura sighed in the notion that only alive for to days and he has already caused enough chaos to affect the daily lives of two nations, soon to be five.

"How horrible would it be if let's say, Iwa got ahold of the information meant for the mist?" She asked Sasori, only slightly more irritated at the smug look on the puppet ninja's face.

"Ooh isn't that interesting? Well, let's just say I make sure my scrolls have proof of concept and specifically with that of the mist Iwa could use it to crumble their executive branch from the inside out or simply infiltrate it easier than one would go to the market for a loaf of bread. Other nations have lost what they thought was their most safely guarded Jutsu, others still have the locations of long thought destroyed tools or weapons, only to be held in the territories of other nations. I've told our beloved Kazekage what I have from our birth home and you can see how eager he is to gain them back."

Sakura stood back and glanced at the two before them. She was up against two of the most powerful ninja Suna had ever produced. Two of the most dangerous, the most intelligent. Her younger self would have entirely freaked out at this point but what good is it now. Finishing the two cups of tea and handing them to the both of them, noticing the handcuff like sand bracelets on Sasori's wrists, Sakura asked a simple question.

"When do we leave?"

"Tonight," Gaara added, moving to look out the window and shut the blinds. "No one besides Kakashi, Kankuro, Shikamaru, and Wisteria know of his rebirth. Honestly, if he deems worthy of living I don't think he'll ever see the light of day as Askuna no Sasori." Gaara added and moved to sip the tea Sakura poured for him; Sasori testing it for poison lightly before partaking himself.

"Glad to know my presence is something so well guarded. I even get my position back in the Suna Black Ops. I wonder if anyone took my label or were they afraid it was cursed?" Sasori chuckled moving to grab a pencil and add notes to the textbook, only to Sakura's chagrin.

"Your daughter took it. Before she became my aid she had to pass and spend time under the role of the Suna shinobi forces. Mirage, as you know still, has one of the hardest entrance exams in the five nations, not as bloody as the Mist but just as difficult." Gaara added and Sakura looked at the two men, shaking her head as she took back her book and noticed the notes were robotics corrections.

"You two are like cousins. How are you so calm about all of this Gaara?" Sakura asked and paused as she noticed the accuracy of Sasori's notes and hesitantly handed the book back to him.

"Because of that." He sighed pointing to the scribing Sasori.

"I am not stupid nor am I overly trusting. But he's in my grasp, as is his daughter. He has been corporative and has made no attempt to show anything other than a desire to become a citizen of Suna. His mind is one many nations desire and if there is any land that can be seen at fault for even one of his crimes it is my own. In death he assisted us, his student is still alive and well, he has routinely given tools to help us grow. Second life is something I know something about. It is only right that I give him his."

Sakura nodded and looked over at the redhead, scribbling away at the textbook that was supposed to be the cutting edge of science.

"Do you want to turn over a new leaf?" She asked, waiting patiently for him to stop writing and watching as he sat up and gave Sakura a once over.

"I want to be a father that my daughter can be proud of. It took me far too long to realize that my legacy is far-reaching and eternal as long as there are puppet users in this world. I wish to ensure that my teachings aren't diluted, nor are they corrupted. I've always been an avid promoter of being a teacher and I'm sure with my history the academy would be happy to have me." He then looked to Gaara.

"If you remember what Pein truly wanted then you know I wanted nothing more than to have a place where war wouldn't be necessary and that the nations could be unified. Your fox friend and your beloved Kazekage are doing an adequate job of that. I believe, in the spirit of the Akatsuki, the real members, I should help make sure we stay on this path."

Sakura paused looking at the older man in front of her. This was what always terrified her about Sasori. He seemingly threw their initial fight. Gave them vital clues to continue on in the battle; he willingly gave Kankuro his blessing for using his puppets and now he is willingly wanting to be a part of Gaara's cabinet. She never knew what he wanted where he was going, and at the moments when she expected him to be the most heartless, the cruelest… he always showed the most humanity possible.

"Well, I suppose you two can make yourself comfortable. I'll go pack a bag for the journey and whip up something to eat till we can leave." She sighed moving to get ready.

"Nice to know your little girlfriend is the proper housewife. Can't have her messing up the role of kaze-hime if she's actually in the running." Sasori teased looking at the younger redhead.

Not looking up from the Konoha morning paper he had yet to read, Gaara sipped his tea and remarked, "I'd watch your tone scorpion, or I'll have my girlfriend kill you with your bare hands, again."

"Ooh, that's cruel."

"I apologize, I'm a recovering mass murderer I tend to be cruel."

"Oh, I guess I'll see you at the murderer's anonymous meetings." Sasori quipped setting down the book.

"I'll make sure you get your thirty-day pin when you haven't killed anyone in a month."

"I'm going to give you a run for your money if you're my sponsor."

Matching Sasori's gaze Gaara put down the paper and added, "You're already costing me a lot just by being alive."

"I'm sure it equals out with having me on retainer. My rate was wildly high. You don't get to meet a shinobi that can take down a Kage too often."

"Nice to know there are two of us in the room."

Sasori paused at that, looking down. "I was friends with your mother, well academy mates. The little kunoichi is a lot like her not that you'd know."

Gaara paused at the confused sincerity that Sasori seemed to express at the memory of his mother Kaura. However, before he could continue the older redhead added, "Rasa was a bitch though."

Pausing to reflect on Sasori's statement, Gaara picked back up his paper and continued reading.

"You don't have to tell me my father was a prick."

Sakura meanwhile was trying to make her mind as busy as her hands were making the three of them a snack now and food for the journey ahead when her kitchen phone rang.

"Hello?"

The familiar drone of her academy mate and friend Shikamaru answered back. "Sakura, I'm glad I caught you before you left on your mission. Can I drop off your specific instructions on our end? Kakashi worked it out so you're being sold to Suna for the job."

Moving to place the phone on her ear and continue cooking Sakura groaned. "Great you sold me to two people that I think are distant cousins who both hate each other and have enough bloodlust in them to kill all three of us on accident before I get back."

"It's a drag being anywhere near Suna ninja. Trust me I married one."

"Any tips then?"

"Stay on your toes. And for some reason, they can be distracted with a story better than food or rest."

"I guess gossip really is gold in the desert."

"Suna pays well enough anyway so thank your boyfriend for lining your paycheck this month."

"I'll have to start being a gold digger more often then."

"I managed to gain a dowery that even my clan couldn't complain about so yeah I'd take that up in my free time if I were you."

"And here I thought you married for love." Sakura giggled, finishing up her cooking and packaging up her finished works.

"Now does that really sound like the leaf's laziest genius? Alright, I'll hawk you over your scroll and report back to me or Kakashi-sensei directly when you get back, loss of limb or not."

"Will do Shikamaru. Give Temari my best and the little sand leaf hybrid."

"Sure thing Haruno. Be safe."

Putting down the plate of rice bowls on the kitchen table and seeing the two of them in silent Suna quality time she sighed and announced her presence.

"So, what's our plan of attack for getting the secrets of the five shinobi nations back without starting a war?"

Glancing up and grinning at the rosette Sasori licked his lips and pulled out a simple scroll with his symbol on it. "I thought you'd never ask."

 **A/N: I'm back! Thank you so much for all the time and patience as my life on all fronts work, love, home, and health wise went crazy. I should be back to semi regular updates and I'm curious as to what you would like to see next from our big group.**


	19. Chapter 19

Sasori opened the scroll and Sakura frowned as it looked to be attached with a brush and a set of ink. Much thinner than the brushes that Sai used, she sat down in the unoccupied chair as Sasori drew an image of a doll looking like an egg; hiding the gasp she nearly emitted of it coming to life similar to her teammates would.

"Little kunoichi are you familiar with the toys known as nesting dolls?" Sakura nodded and with her approval, the little egg doll opened up to another, smaller doll that was inside it.

"Similar to the dolls themselves the scrolls are layers. Each one containing the secret of one nation and the location of the other. No scroll is in the correct country and no scroll can be returned without all six being joined together in their true form. You must start on the outer end and find yourself in the center." He explained doing a quick sketch of the scrolls and their lotus-like shape that reveals a seal to be broken.

"What if we were to return the scrolls before we finished?" Sakura asked peering over the drawing.

"Corruption is so rampant in every nation my dear, even ones with the best intentions. If one were to place it back in any records room or office without the seal being broken then there would be a kind of document poison that spreads through contaminating each scroll and document into useless goo that is poisonous to remove. You trying to return something stolen only ensures everything is lost."

Wiping a hand along the scroll it ruins black and Sakura quickly covers her nose for the putrid smoke that appears. Seemingly unamused, Gaara moves a hand and quickly suffocates the scroll in sand. Taking the sand back to a different, smaller gourd he keeps in his jacket pocket Sakura's eyes widened at the intricate seal now encased in ink and sand.

"What a lovely ward kunoichi. I think this would fit nicely in your home, protect it in your time away." The elder redhead chuckled, producing a nail in his hand and imbedding it in her wall with a flash of chakra before hanging it.

"Shall we leave then? It looks like I'm going to have to have my brother take over as Kazekage since I highly doubt we can traverse the five nations and back in less than a week." Gaara stood, clearly irritated that the puppet master has commandeered their time for much longer than either anticipated.

"Nearly still, but you both need civilian clothes. If I vaguely remember where I had Kabuto hide the second scroll it won't be a place Shinobi are welcome." He grinned and with a small purse of his lips the Kazekage disappeared in a flurry of sand.

"So my little kunoichi, care for me to dress you? I'll be needing you to be a cute little distraction for a few bits of our journey." He teased while his fingers, laced with chakra, sliced sounding like the slice of scissors. The sound and image sent a certain chill down her spine.

"You really are disgusting." Sakura groaned grabbing a simple shirt and jeans to add to her pack and fully relishing in the frown that appeared when Sasori saw her choice.

"Unacceptable. I know I saw better in you than that. Heaven help if this is what kunoichi use as their civilian attire in the leaf. They may never be able to seduce a man again." The puppet master stood, and without permission moved into Sakura's bedroom much to the rosette's protest.

"Hey! Hey! What the actual fuck are you doing get out of my room!" Sakura charged after him and looked at him shifting through her clothes with a frown.

"You wear a lot of red girl. I wasn't kidding when I said I needed you for a distraction and you can't look like a ninja. You looking like a woman was supposed to be the obvious next choice. Maybe my nickname of you being a little girl wasn't so off base." He frowned and looked at an old coat in the back of Sakura's closet. Raising an eyebrow he noticed the soft satin lining it had and made quick work of removing it.

"Are you seriously making me a dress?"

"You have nothing of substance and I've seen you enough to guess your measurements. You'll thank me later when your beloved Kazekage sees you look like the woman you're supposed to be. Pack makeup this client we have to go see is easily distracted by a pretty face."

"Are you saying I'm not pretty?" Sakura fumed, her little patience for the man dwindling down to embers as he proceeded to ruin a coat of hers.

"I'm saying adult women wear makeup children do not. Makeup can only enhance the beauty you already have. If anything I need you to look a little softer. If the Kazekage would go under a henge he'd be perfect but I highly doubt he'd have the acting skills to pull off being a woman."

Sakura paused for a moment picturing the other redhead as her sex. Gaara already had delicate facial features, long graceful hands, beautiful eyes. If Gaara were a woman his exotic features would make him nearly irresistible but his personality was anything but soft or demure.

Watching Sasori quickly cut measure and sew with little more than a piece of chalk a needle and thread he produced a slip Esq dress that Sakura had seen Ino pull off a couple of party nights in Suna. Sakura, however, couldn't even attempt to wear something so scandalous.

"Put it on." He sighed moving to hold the thing out in front of her and Sakura did her best to hide her blush.

"What? Why?" She covered up her embarrassment with anger as she crossed her arm over her chest.

"Because, I need to see how it fits and tailor it accordingly. If you had so much as one dress suitable for seduction I wouldn't have to bother so please. Stop wasting my time Sakura and put this on." He scolded in what tone seemed more like a dad than a crazy psychopath.

Regrettably taking the garment, Sakura slipped it on and tried to be upset at how good it looked on her. The satin hung to her body like water and he had cut the waist to give her the illusion of the figure she only thought existed in women like Temari or Hinata. Taking a deep breath to hide her enjoyment of wearing the dress She stepped out.

"It's fine."

Looking her up and down with a detached eye, Sasori took a pin out his mouth and beckoned her over.

"Fine it is, but fine is only words we want to associate with hair and china, not the caliber of my work." Moving to pin the item in certain places along the hem and back he added.

"If this is is close as I'm going to get to making you a part of my collection, then I expect you to look exquisite." He purred, standing up and placing a gentle hand along her cheek, only to brush a stray hair behind her head.

"Get your hands off her before I break them." A voice broke through the room and Sakura immediately bolted back. Moving to lock herself back into the bathroom and make up for the breaths she didn't realize she was holding.

 _What is wrong with me? Anyone else and I would have knocked them into the next village. Why with Sasori do I still feel like that 15 year old girl again?_

Recovering her composure and quickly changing back into the comfort of her ninja garb she tossed the dress back into Sasori's arms, only slightly irritated that the puppet master caught it gracefully.

"He's quite possessive of you kunoichi. I'm surprised you would take someone so… controlling." Sasori grinned, quickly adding the fixes to the dress and fully ignoring the death by stare no Jutsu Gaara was attempting.

"Gaara understands my freedom, no one in their right mind would trust you."

Laughing lightly while he worked Sasori looked up at both of them briefly before responding.

"Well isn't it a blessing not a soul in this room is sane?"

—-

They were silent after Gaara proceeded to break his nose. At first, Sakura was surprised that he used his bare hands to do so, but after the trio quietly packed up and she saw Sasori use healing chakra to fix himself rather simply, she really was simply jealous to not have had the satisfaction herself.

Once the trio left the safety of the village and started heading towards the direction of the mist she felt a bit nostalgic to her first mission. Sasori and his odd quirks and age, plus his obsession over the concept of time made him a good match for her old sensei Kakashi. Not to be the first nor the last to compare her first lover with her current Gaara took the obvious spot of Sasuke. It was really only the knuckle headed ninja that was missing from their group. In truth, no one truly could replace Naruto, and she was happy for the lack of placeholder; especially if she couldn't have the real thing.

Hearing the younger redhead at her side pipe up to ask question Sakura quickly shook herself from her memories.

"Kabuto doesn't live in the mist. Why are we headed in this direction?"

Turning back towards the two Sasori sighed before answering, "I hate wasting time. Kabuto is a person not a place and he is meeting us close to the location of the second scroll with the first. I had your Hokage give him coordinates and a time to meet us there. I will not be late and I encourage you both to not hold me back. Only one of the three of us recently rose from the dead need I remind you." He growled moving to pick up the speed and having the two of them match him.

"He may have just risen but I'm about two snide comments away from putting him back in the grave, secrets that could start another war be damned." She murmured and only barely caught the small smirk Gaara gave at her side.

"Kazekage, you no longer have the ichibi. How is your control over sand?" He asked, moving to step back and motion to have Sakura take point, much to her chagrin.

"It is of negligible change to what you would have witnessed. What importance does this have to the mission?"

"Because several of the scrolls are buried one way or another. I'm fairly skilled with getting them but my affinity is not for earth like you nor the title kunoichi and while I know she could smash the earth into tiny little pieces with a flick of her wrist, this is more of a request for finesse."

"I have enough control over most earth elements to find something if given the proper coordinates. How many of the scrolls are buried?"

"Two. Two are in the hands of people, which we will be retrieving tonight. One is in the bottom of a lake and one… well, you'll see." He smirked and moved to retake the point position."

"Sasori." Sakura asked, acknowledging his nod of response before continuing.

"You said none were in the country of their secret, why are we not retrieving the one in the land of fire first?"

"Because no scroll is in the land of fire. I buried my body here that was secret enough." He murmured and Sakura looked over at him. He looked odd. More puppet esq in his human form than he ever did as a puppet like he wasn't used to his own body.

"I don't like getting old." He murmured and Sakura shut her mouth wondering if she had said her thoughts out loud.

"My mind was smart enough to surpass my elders as a teen. I successfully turned myself into a living puppet. I killed one of the greatest Kazekages that ever lived and yet I still can't overcome the fact that my left leg is weaker than my right because of an accident I had as a child. That my vision is slowly failing me and when I return to my workshop I will need glasses to put my deigns on paper. I can do a lot of things with the human body but I can't stop getting old." Sakura nearly stopped at the, sad admission. It was true but what was the point?

"The scrolls that I am entrusting to your beloved hokage and kazekage to return to their rightful owners are some of the darkest, most guarded secrets of the nations and many of these secrets were formed by old men wanting to not feel any older. While your generation is young and in power take it from a man who had to die to see what is truly immortal. Destroy them. I will go back to Suna with the little sand squirt and I know he won't want this secret passed on. Make sure Konoha does the same with theirs. If you tell that blond kyuubi vessel of yours to encourage this I have no doubt of what will happen to most of the other nations."

Sakura could only nod at the stiff warning the man entrusted her with. Sasori always was so intelligent, but was he also this wise. Death really had become him, and even though she could still see the dark edges of his persona, it wasn't all there was.

Stopping the trio Gaara pointed in a direction southwest and the group descended down from the trees into a clearing.

A hooded figure walked up to them and smiled. Moon shaped glasses glimmered in the night sky and Sakura felt all of the discomfort that came with the appearance of Kabuto.

"As I live and breathe. You truly are an eternal beauty Sasori-sama. Welcome back to the land of the living."


	20. Chapter 20

Changed or not Sakura had never gotten over her disdain for the villain turned orphanage head that Kabuto currently was. He still looked snake-like, even more so than his former mentor Orochimaru. Standing across the field Sasori walked towards his student and let out that eerily angelic smile that Sakura thought was only capable in a puppet body.

"What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't practice what I preached. Your studies I heard were quite successful in their way though I have to say abandoning me seemed to be in name only." The older redhead chuckled.

"It does seem that I followed along with the school of the scorpion to the letter, even down to the rule of the family being the most important thing, whatever you have left of it."

"Family?" Sakura whispered to Gaara at her right, not thinking Sasori would have such a creed with his students.

"Family is everything in the Sand. It would've been treason to have anyone outside my family to mortally wound me. Lady Chiyo was fulfilling an honorable right to Sasori for his death being by her hands. Family rules in the Sand, whether with power with marriage or with blood." He stated simply and the stories of Gaara's father attempting to assassinate him were suddenly worse and better at the same time.

Producing a scroll with Sasori's seal on it flashed red once it touched Sasori's hand and opened up, a red snake slithering out with a red scorpion resting on one of the edges.

"I thank you for the transfer of ownership Kabuto, you have done well. If you or your brood need of anything, I still consider you part of my fold." Sasori quipped, opening up the scroll and smiling at the location of the second scroll.

"That means, it means a lot Sasori-sama. I wish you well on your journey. For it was beautiful."

"For it was artistic," Sasori responded in kind.

"For it was eternal." The two ended in unison and with that Kabuto disappeared on his way.

"Shall we change clothes and grab a drink? I'm in the mood to celebrate and I know just the place to do so." He grinned and Sakura grimaced in return.

"Just where exactly are we going? She asked with a frown on her face.

"A lovely little establishment that has had wild success for decades. I wonder how it's doing now." Sasori grinned and the trio began to follow his lead.

"Sasori, what is the name of this establishment?" Gaara asked, wondering if he had ventured there on his trips to the mist.

"It's called The Grotto, or at least it was 10 years ago." Sasori murmured and Sakura paled at the thought.

"Wait The Grotto?! If this is the place I'm thinking of there is no way we're getting into this place. Ino raved about it for weeks after a mission escorting some well to do Mist celebrity."

"I highly doubt that my little cherry blossom. This is a place for the mob and the underbelly of society."

However, when the trio arrived changed and within sight of the place, the look on Sasori's face was less than assured.

"Guess it was doing a little too well in my time gone."

"See?! There's no way we're getting in there. The line is down the hall and ninja have no clout in this kind of place."

"Well, how was I supposed to know it changed so drastically. The place was a rundown card bar that no one in their right mind would step foot in. Who looks at that and says let's make a popular nightclub?!" He growled and adjusted the collar on his black turtleneck, clearly perturbed.

"Well, how would you know anything when you've been dead for ten years?! God, I don't know why I would listen to you." Sakura chided in return, fuming at coming all this way to be stopped by a civilian bouncer and the threat of being sued.

"Are you two done arguing?" Gaara quipped standing and adjusting the rings on his finger, each holding just the smallest amount of sand in them.

"Oh, do you happen to have something important to add sand prince?" Sasori seethed and when Gaara pointed a finger at the act of the night and responded simply.

"This band is from Suna and I have personally been financing for years. I am always on their VIP list so I can support my projects if I am ever in town while they are touring."

Turning towards the club to look at the act Sakura jumped in excitement.

"Yes, Oasis. I know that it's childish but I've always wanted to see them in concert!"

Chuckling Gaara opened up his hand for Sakura to take and responded. "Well while the scorpion and I get some business done I'll introduce you to the band to have some fun."

Walking up to the front of the club, and ignoring the angry shouts of the many people waiting in line Gaara spoke his name for the list and the admission of him and his two companions.

Despite the bouncer being considerably taller than the kazekage, Gaara was leaps and bounds more intimidating and the added clinically bored gaze Sasori bore helped the trio quickly walk into the club and be issued into the VIP area.

The club was packed to the brim. There was music pumping through every crevice and Oasis was rocking the house. As soon as they sat down a mousy looking man ran up to Gaara with three drinks on a tray of the so iconic Suna liquor. How they managed to get the stuff in the mist was insane to Sakura but Gaara passed the drinks to her and Sasori with ease.

"Oh, Kazekage-sama we are so pleased that you have joined us. The band will be notified of you and your guests' presence as soon as possible. We are so honored you would come to support us."

"Abdul relax. You do this every time and I remind you this is nothing. Let them have a good concert and they are under no circumstances to entertain me if they don't desire to. I have some business to attend to with my colleague Hiroku." Gaara gestured at Sasori and the manager nodded swiftly; putting the names to memory.

"Sakura, however, if the boys have a little time would love to meet them. She is my companion for the evening and I would be grateful if she was shown Suna level hospitality."

"Gaara, I'm fine honest. There is no need for anyone to go out of their way. The concert is plenty." She grinned looking over the railing and down at the stage and the band playing.

"It's my pleasure Sakura-sama. Anything our kazekage desires is the wish of Oasis. Please relax and when the band is finished you will have them at your side." Abdul nodded and quickly ran off.

"Well look at that sand prince. Having the world at your feet even in the Mist." Sasori quipped before sipping the liquor and sighing at the taste of his home country.

"We got lucky the act is one of my art scholarship receptionist. Now, where is this scroll? It would be best to grab it while the group is performing and everyone is distracted."

"Backstage, under a floorboard that you won't get to while the band is still working. Maybe not at all even with your credentials if your little act is this popular." Sasori teased and before long the band was done with their song and the crowd went wild.

"Thank you! Grotto you have made this Oasis quite a perfect night! We're going to take a short break and then we'll be back to quench your thirst some more." The lead singer of the band Amai grinned and walked backstage, the crowd becoming nearly painful in their cheers.

The band soon was upon the trio and Sakura tried her hardest to not be starstruck. Amai was as sweet as his name and his smile was even more enchanting than the tv or photos made him look. His co-writer and lead guitar Kagura was the kind of sexy and spitfire that Sakura always wanted to be. The Ichi twins Kairu and Tomo as Keys and Drums were Naruto level high octane and their stark white hair and blue eyes made them easy favorites in the Mist. However, not that Sakura would admit but she was always most fond of the basest Rin. He had hair as black as Night and yellow eyes like a full moon. Sakura was swept up by the band and even more so by the familiar way they approached Gaara.

"Gaara! You came! I didn't know you were here in the Mist. Man, it's so good to see you. Who's the cutie pie? I thought you gave up on sweets after the war?" He grinned and Sakura was starting to think that the Gaara the leaf got to see was not the true Gaara and the stories of Gaara being this super fun great talker that Naruto swore he was may have been less of an exaggeration.

"Amai, this is Sakura, she's from the Leaf, and she's my girlfriend." The band quickly stopped their conversations to hound and inspect Sakura, much to Sasori's amusement.

"Oh well, you're certainly pretty enough," Kairu added moving to look up at her and her dress. "But are you smart enough for our Gaara? He only deserves the best." Tomo added, or maybe it was the other way around Sakura thought, trying to neither blush from the contact or be angry for the interrogation.

"I'm a kunoichi and a doctor back in Konoha," Sakura added demurely, cursing her soft response.

"Leave her alone. If Gaara wants to date he's obviously going to date someone worthy of him." Rin chuckled and placed a long strand of jet black hair behind his ear before pulling Sakura away from the three boys and back into Gaara's arms. Sakura swore her heart stopped. Was he this smooth in person?

"I owe you one Rin, consider our next game night at my place," Gaara responded simply and Rin nodded in return, the bass player moving to take the twins to relax elsewhere.

"So why are you really here Gaara-sama. Not that I don't love your company but you always inform us when you're coming and ask if it's ok to be here." Kagura moved to look at the trio skeptically. Maybe she was the real brains of the group and Amai was just the face of the band.

"I have something to get but I need backstage access. I didn't know you would be playing but I suppose this could work in our favor." The kazekage responded and Kagura nodded looking over at Amai. The lead singer of the band nodded and grinned.

"So you need us to give you backstage access for your mission? No problem consider it yours, on one condition." He grinned and just for a moment Sakura remembered that all of the band members had passed the academy training and served in the war. Amai specializing in genjutsu according to an article in Shinobi Stars.

"Name your price Hobi," Gaara stated crossing his arms in his classic pose.

"Nothing out of your depth. Sing your song." Amai responded and Kagura let out a soft snicker that confused both Sakura and Sasori.

"Your-song?" Sakura questioned looking up at her redhead.

"Gaara-sama wrote one of the songs on our album with me. It's fucking phenomenal and we always start our final set with it. This place is legendary and what better way to make headlines than to show that we have the kazekage not only as a fan but as a contributor." Kagura added and Sasori smirked.

"I like her. Well go on little sand prince and warm up your voice. The little kunoichi gladly cheer you on from the wings while I find our little package." Sasori grabbed Sakura with his creepy doll-like smile and as much as Sakura wanted to argue, she really wanted to see Gaara sing on stage."

"How much choice do I have?" Gaara asked with a small groan in his voice.

"None, Kagura has a good point and Rin has been on my ass for weeks about a headline. I can't keep dating movie stars just to keep the paparazzi happy."

Rolling his eyes Gaara nodded and moved to walk down with the band. "You're in love with that baker girl and have been since you were in the academy. I don't know why you bother pretending otherwise."

Amai's grin fell as the group lost themselves in the crowd on the way to the stage. The two men lowered their voice to a whisper as Sakura and Sasori lost the words to their conversation.

 _"_ _Because things are different now that the band is doing well. The best way for me to protect Haori is making sure the press doesn't know she exists. When the time is right I'm going to settle down and marry her but until then I have a dream to accomplish. You get that right?"_

Gaara looked back at Sakura who was laughing lightly at the twins' antics and suddenly completely understood what Amai was saying. "Yeah. I do."

Patting his hand on Gaara's back Amai chuckled and moved to test his guitar. "Good I'll introduce you so just relax and warm up your voice. They're gonna freak."

Sakura was standing in the wings next to Gaara hear Amai say they had a very special guest up next, someone who believed in them from the beginning and who wrote the next song.

"You know they really look up to you." Sakura added, moving to silently and softly hold his hand.

"Amai was one of the first male friends I had after Naruto. They were the winners of an arts scholarship and he invited me over to watch the band perform. It was nice to just be, a guy in his teens for once. Not a monster, not a kazekage. Just Gaara. He moved to the sand when he was 14 so he didn't know about my past too well. Even after I told him he just said ' _Gaara you'd be a sick fucking rock star with that story.'_ And asked if I would buy dinner that night." Gaara turned towards Sakura and kissed her hand.

"This doesn't leave this stage kay." He growled and looked over at Sasori before walking on stage to the roar of the audience. With a glare and a wave of his hands, Gaara silenced the audience in a way that only a world leader had the power to do. With a simple turn and nod to Amai and the rest of the band, the two singers began in unison.

 _"_ _Heaven knows that I'm born too late for these ghosts that I chase with these dreams, I inflate, painted skies in my brain every day, I'm the sage of six paths to escape this old world, this old world."_

Sakura was in awe at the stage presence Gaara had. She had seen it in speeches but something about it in a musical standpoint made him seem magical. Turning to find Sasori she saw that he had disappeared. Not feeling like the moment was right she moved to search for him.

Pulsing out for his chakra she found it behind the door of what at first glance to be a broom closet looking again she saw a door on the floor and a dark set of stairs. Walking down the pathway she could hear a noise.

Pausing to pull a senbon out of her hair, it falling around her face she turned the corner to see Sasori pull the scroll out of a withered desk.

"Guess whoever bought the place didn't check all of its skeletons. No matter. Want some money kunoichi? I'm in the mood to share for a price." He grinned and pulled her close with a chakra string, waving a stack of money in front of her.

"Get your hands off me," Sakura growled.

"Ah but I'm not even touching you, my dear. You looked so beautiful tonight all demure and soft I did think twice about it." He chuckled placing a soft hand along her cheek and Sakura shut her eyes and tried to concentrate on breaking his hold.

"I won't hurt you kunoichi do not fear. I know you care for the ichibi vessel. He is my ticket to a new life with my daughter and I won't ruin that." He chuckled letting her go after placing a few large bills in her hand.

"But if you ever desire a man who truly knows how to make a person experience something truly exquisite I may entertain you."

"What makes you think I would ever want you?" She growled throwing the money on the ground and watching as he crossed her and moved to head back up the stairs.

"I'm still conscious. You've never been passive my dear. A part of you desires me. Maybe the thrill of your first kill never left you. Maybe I'm close enough looking to your kazekage that you simply have a type." He grinned and whispered to her before venturing back into the public,

"Or maybe you get off knowing that I have no hesitation in taking control and I know how to get you to enjoy it."

 **A/N: Anybody can guess who the Oasis band is supposed to be? The song is the clue even if the looks are totally different.**


	21. Chapter 21

Sakura was livid throughout the entire second half of the concert. Faking her smiles and enjoyment for Gaara and thoroughly treating Sasori like he didn't exist.

 _I don't have the hots for Sasori in the slightest right?! He's a creepy stupid bastard that murdered people and used their corpses to make weapons._

Her inner, ever her own personal devil's advocate reared its ugly head and added to her questioning. **_He is your type though. Incredibly smart, very dangerous, pale skin, striking features. Quiet. Honestly, he's all the poise of Sasuke and all the raw fire of Gaara together. Plus he's older and you've always had a thing for older guys._**

Shaking her head of such thoughts Sakura argued with herself, pretending to be entranced with one of the bands' slower, more melodic tunes.

 _I love Gaara though. And Gaara is kind and thoughtful. He's never once insulted me or teased me and he always has respected my power._

 ** _You liked Sasuke for years and all that man ever did was tease you. Gaara may not have disrespected your power but Sasori thought it was valuable enough to bottle. He literally thought you were strong enough to keep as a living weapon. Get used to it girl. You may love Gaara but when the man who was the first person to really see you come into your true power is in front of you, you're going to have some feelings._**

 _It doesn't matter. He's way too old for me. He is awful. He is a psychopath, and I'm with Gaara._

 ** _Sure, but when something happens and your good thing with Gaara gets ruined by the little puppet manipulator don't say I didn't warn you._**

Shaking her head again of such thoughts and realizing that the band was done performing. Sakura quickly regained the focus of the moment to cheer on the band and for good measure curl up next to her boyfriend.

"Are you cold? That dress doesn't exactly cover much." He murmured moving to hand over his jacket to her and check the temperature of her hands.

"I'm fine Gaara we just, we haven't really gone on any kind of social outing like this in years. Then we get two dates in a week? It's nice I guess." She shrugged and slipped on the jacket, enjoying it for modesty more than anything else.

"Well, why don't we rest up a bit and maybe our mission guide can inform us of where we're headed to next. If I can produce a few more hidden mini-dates on this journey then mores the better." He smiled softly and stood to motion his goodbyes to the band and for Sasori to follow them in their leave.

"An inn sand prince? Are you getting soft in your desk job life, or has the softness of the leaf corrupted your sensibilities?" He teased, as Gaara silently ignored the ex Akatsuki member and purchased a two-room suite for the evening.

Once entered Gaara gave Sakura a nod and the two quickly put the soundproofing seals and protection wards common among those dealing with Kage. Although, his were the distinct pattern of Suna and the wind nature and she dealt with the Konoha fire seals. Sitting down on the couch and unraveling a map from his pack Gaara sighed briefly.

"One night of going into things blind is as much as I will allow. I was not chosen to lead and win the fourth Shinobi war by chance and since you say these scrolls have such vital information I wanted to place proper seals. Can't exactly do that outside.

"Now." He paused activating the map and it fused with his chakra adding country lines topography and climate natures typical of regions. "To the best of your ability tell me where all the scrolls are and the specifics of this third scroll we are to find next."

Sasori looked at the map, starting by placing marks on the two that they had already found. "The third is in Iwa. In the mountains. If you have ever visited my Wisteria's childhood home it isn't far from that. The fourth is in Grass country, in a cemetery. The fifth in the land of tea held by a fortune teller. The seal breaker and last is near Suna in an oasis I ventured too many times as a child."

The plot points converged to a five-point lotus, each petal branching outward with Suna as the base; glowing red and imprinting their placement on Gaara's map. Looking at the journey of them all Sakura internally groaned.

"It's going to take ages to retrieve them all. We're all the way in Mist it'll take at least a week to get to Iwa from here as we pass the land of Tea, the land of Wind and the land of Grass. We pass Suna again going to tea." Sakura wasn't going to mention the three-day journey it took to get to Konoha again from Suna. At least Gaara wasn't losing as much time and got to end the journey in his home nation.

Looking towards the Kage and noticing his stress Sakura suddenly felt bad for stating something she was sure he knew.

"Gaara, I." Holding a hand out to stop her he shook his head.

"My criminal, at least in part my nation's secrets, my mission. This isn't the first time I've had Kankuro summon me my work to do from a mission." Though the frown on his face made her seem like he guaranteeing the better part of a month away not on his list of things he enjoyed doing.

"Well, at least we have a kind of itinerary. Let's get some rest and reconvene in the morning?" She sighed walking towards one of the rooms and realizing there were only two in the suite.

"You love birds keep it down. Didn't know you were so open with your relationship kunoichi." Sasori sneered in a tone between annoyed and teasing.

"I won't be sleeping tonight. It may come as no surprise how little I sleep as to have not slept my entire childhood. The stress of a mission removes what little sleep I may get." Gaara shrugged, before moving to stand.

Turning to Sakura he whispered, "If you'll permit me to use your shower I'll be in the living room for the rest of the evening." Sakura nodded before blushing at his gentlemanly kiss of her hand before he sauntered off to get ready for the night.

"You little trollop. I was wrong, it isn't he that has you in his claws it's he in yours. I must say I'm impressed Sakura."

"I have no idea what you're talking about and why are you using my name? You never use my name."

"Because a puppeteer names their work and a puppeteer acknowledges brethren. You're quite the manipulator. So, what's the goal? Is it a power play, a stronger alliance, or do you want the throne? A leaf ninja in the Suna royal family would be the scandal of the century." He teased and it grated on her to no end.

"Sasori stop!" She shouted, upset with herself for letting him get to her but too angry to care at the moment.

"I love Gaara. I love Gaara and I loved him for years. I screwed it up last time but I won't let anything or anyone ruin what we have again. I don't want anything from him not everyone has their little spider webs to control people in so stop butting your nose into my life and stop messing with my head!" She screamed and Gaara quickly came rushing into the room, just in time to see Sakura burst into tears.

This was a moment of choice for the former jinchuricki. While he really wanted to let his murderous desires run rampant and turn the puppet master into a collection of bloody limbs he knew that Sakura needed more attention at the moment.

Deciding that glaring death at Sasori would have to do for now he guided her into a room and sat her down on the bed.

"Talk."

It was a simple one-word response and yet it was easier than any question would have been for her to answer.

"I don't know why he has such a hold on me. I feel like that stupid child again every time I see him. It's like I go right back to that scared cry baby of a little girl that just barely had anything to offer. Saving your brother and defeating him was the first time I ever felt like I did anything right and honestly I barely got through that battle alive.

One of the many things Sakura loved about Gaara is that he always carefully curated his words. Every sentence was planned and that the way he paused before speaking always made Sakura feel like everything she said was of vital importance to him.

"He is someone of importance to you."

Knowing the meaning of that phrase to Gaara, Sakura quickly shook her head no and went to argue more before Gaara continued.

"Just because someone is important to you does not mean they are good or that you want them around. Have I ever told you about my uncle Yashamaru?" He asked, and while Sakura had heard rumors about Gaara's tragic past, she hadn't heard the full story and shook her head no.

"My mother died in childbirth. Me having the ichibi imprisoned inside my body by my father was too much for her. My father did not take her death well and sent me to live with my mother's twin brother, Yashamaru."

"Yashamaru was very sweet to me as a boy. He was very kind. One day when I was roughly six or seven years old Yashamaru was sent on an assassination mission for my head. I was so shocked at the time that I hoped it was a ploy from my father and that he made my uncle attack me. My uncle said my father didn't force the mission and that he chose to accept it and attack me himself. He said that he hated me, that I killed my mother and that he didn't love me, I couldn't be loved, couldn't deserve love."

Sakura was shocked to hear how he had to have that experience at such a young age. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"It is ok. You see even with all of that hatred he still raised me until that day. Taught me what love was in the first place. Was one of the only kind people to me. He is of great importance to me although he hurt me dearly and I would not want to suffer like that again. Sasori is your figure of importance. You became someone new after him; understandably, you would allow him some sort of power in your life, if only so that you could overcome it." he reasoned and Sakura all at once felt sad for having these strange feelings for Sasori and grateful that Gaara understood them and could see why she had them in the first place.

Nodding Sakura resigned herself to feeling better and Gaara moved to stand. Gripping the white t-shirt he wore Sakura whispered out, "Stay a while?" She whispered and hoped it sound more of a polite request from her that the desperate begging that she truly felt.

Turning towards Sakura and seeing the confused look in her eye Gaara nodded and moved to wrap her up in his arms. It was still a strange feeling to him being a comforter but he relished the small moments he had to look upon his growth as a person and to be not only a protector and provider but a sort of comfort for people as well. Running his fingers through her hair as Temari had often done him in his moments of weakness Gaara waited patiently until Sakura was asleep before heading back to the living room to get some much-needed work done.

Spying Sasori still there and presumably working on a new micro puppet with a nice size log Gaara squared up his position and uttered.

"I think it's time we have a talk, psychopath to psychopath."

Looking up Sasori grinned and set down his tools.

"Well looks like the desert itself has come to bargain with the scorpion, family ties run deep eh cousin?"


	22. Chapter 22

Family ties run deep. Gaara thought as he sat across from the puppeteer. The red sand and the desert. Two of the oldest and most noble tribes in Suna and until Sasori left Suna one of the most powerful dynamics of the Suna military line. The sheer fact that Kankuro was a puppeteer only proved how deep their family lines grew. However, the Askunas were known by another animal. As heir, Sasori had the honor of being given the name of the scorpion but that was only available to the eldest son of the generation. What was even more common in the line of the red sand was the arachnid. While on the outside they were scorpions; sharp, resourceful, aloof, deadly. Internally they were known as the spider clan. They had the strings of their web run as far as one could imagine and it was only a matter of time before you got entangled in one. Gaara had already wrapped himself so tightly in the Askuna web he felt he might as well make himself feel at home.

"You want a life. Your daughter has a home and a career. I allowed her to claim her seat on the throne as well as, with permission from Ebizo, take the Scorpion seat in the council when he retires in a few years."

"What is your point Subaku? You give my daughter who has no more crimes to Suna than carrying my name, a name my dear uncle Ebizo shares, her birthright; and you expect me to see it as a bargaining ploy for your vision of the court." Sasori drolled, glancing up at the other redhead but not stopping his work.

"No, I'm expressing that her life is contingent upon you being dead and she not being a part of your life. You wish to be back in Suna, have a life with your family now that you remember how important it is, die. Stop Sasori's existence in its entirety and let him stay the dead war criminal so Wisteria can live a life with as few prejudices as possible."

"Total death eh? I don't know if you know this but I'm bad at staying dead. Your idea of hiding who I am ruins the idea of Suna. I am one of the most famous puppeteers to live and I never taught a single student there. Give me my nest and we will take our gift to new heights. I was one of the best poison crafters in all the shinobi nations. Put me in a hospital and you'll never have to be stumped on a poison antidote." He chuckled before adding.

"Why not bargain with me over something that actually could be talked about with some amount of intelligence? Perhaps like the fate of our little cherry blossom."

"She is not a prize to be bargained with." Gaara seethed, feeling the waves of anger flow through him and the family desire of bloodlust that could never truly leave him.

"Ah, relax cousin. I won't touch her if you let me have her."

"You're out of your mind, you really want to die today?" Gaara growled standing up from his chair.

"A student. You said it yourself a scorpion and a spider are one and the same in my family. She's already tangled up in my web, why not let her know how to be in one?" Sasori smirked and finally sat down the figurine of a puppet that looked like the aforementioned spider.

"Why would you want a leaf kunoichi as a student of yours?"

"Because I'm not an idiot. I don't think she'll be leaf much longer and if you have your hands in my family I want a spider in yours."

"You're being obtuse Sasori. Spit out your desire."

"You make her one of my marionettes. Let her sit at the throne of the master and learn the ways of the scorpion. If you manage to make her queen, give me the right to be her ambassador."

"You would act as her father in sand?"

"Unless you're telling me her father has the credentials."

"Not likely, and as merchants, they may understand someone else needing the title." Wind country nuptials were always feats to accomplish and the number of roles and procedures that were second nature to even a common native took a team of foreign lawyers. Most foreign brides did well with an ambassador. He had thought of the concept of an ambassador when Shikamaru was being negotiated to immigrate to Suna. Shaking his head of the thoughts of marrying Sakura when they just barely started dating again Gaara added to his thoughts.

"Nevertheless, this is a single possibility that even if successful would be years down the line."

"If I look at it right you both have been dangling a relationship for years now and there is already a desire from sand to claim someone of the leaf as you gave them the princess herself." He smirked and Gaara groaned.

"What makes you think she'd ever agree to it?"

"You spin it as keeping an eye me. Give me the venue I'll do the rest."

"What if she doesn't have the affinity for puppet mastery?" Gaara questioned, knowing full well even as the royal family only Kankuro was compatible.

"She was the damn slug princess' apprentice and she's a shinobi surgeon marvel. If she isn't compatible it'll be the dumbest twist of fate I've ever heard, and I heard Madara's plan to harness the power of the moon and the fact that he actually had the power to do so." Sasori leaned back, testing whether or not the kazekage would hear his offer.

"Test her, on this mission. If she is compatible, I will ask for her assistance and employ you as her right hand. You will obey me. You will be under my control as a member of my Mirage Ops with Wisteria as captain and if you fail…"

"You make my daughter be the one to suffer the consequences."

"It's the only way you'll behave. Blood is thicker than water."

"Don't we know it cousin."

"Our head was stained red as a curse and a blessing."

"May we protect our own and spill that of those who betray us." Sasori finished before standing.

"One more thing, if my Wisteria has the Scorpion, I want code name spider; and a shot a captain in 18 months."

"Not on your life." Gaara snorted before moving to write a letter to Kankuro about his workload and summoning schedule.

"Sweet dream sand prince, I rather have enjoyed the crafting of our first web together," Sasori remarked before heading into the other room.

 _Why do I feel like I just sealed my own death? What have I just done to appease this old fucking bastard?_ Wishing he had the sage if crude advice of his Biju Gaara channeled to see if Shukaku was available.

Like waves crashing on a beach suddenly into the chill waters of a moonlit lake. Gaara found himself in the celestial home Shukaku. A floating gazebo appeared beneath him and Gaara began the process of making tea for the ancient being.

 _"_ _HAHAahahaha, young cub. What has brought you to my home? Have we come to ask for advice or shall we relish in the spilled blood of our enemies?"_

Sitting down and offering his one tail a cup of jasmine tea Gaara sighed, "I can not kill this one no matter how much I desire to. He holds a secret more powerful than most."

Shrinking himself down to size, Shukaku stared down at his young cub before sipping.

 _"_ _The scorpion's venom can heal or kill. The spider's web can protect or harm. He spins his web and he lies. Like all filthy humans do. But he needs you for something. Spread your own web, and change his design young cub. Or kill him when you have the secret. That's what I would do." Shukaku cackled and Gaara thought about the demon's advice._

"How should I weave my web?"

 _"_ _Trap him like the tiny creature he is. Give him what he wants and trap him so that the only way to have it is under your thumb." The demon cackled. "What is a king without his power, cub? Show the little insect that you are the entire desert. He is but a feature of your majesty."_

Nodding Gaara took the advice and severed the spiritual bond between the two that could never leave him.

Gaara busied himself with duties and on a flash of insanity or a spark of genius dipping a quill in ink the kazekage went to craft a letter _._

 _Kankuro,_

 _It is indeed as bad as we feared and I am in that shitty of a predicament that I am going to make your life a lot harder for the next few weeks. However, I am your little brother and that is your fault for being the eldest son. Your childhood idle is a prick. He is making me long for the simplistic days of my blood-filled insanity. Our mission of national and international security is going to occupy my time for the better part of this month. I should, however, be home in time for the start of merchant season but that does mean I'll need you to take over as Kage while I'm gone._

 _I apologize even more for doing this but I'm requesting Wisteria to join me. Have Matsuri and Yumi help you out with the duties Wisteria would accomplish and tell Baki he's out of retirement for a few weeks to take your spot as captain of the guard. If anyone complains use our family's three B motto. Bark at them first, throw the bank account at them second, if you bother needing a third option, only bite once._

 _I'll keep you updated on progress but so far nothing is good but nothing is dangerous. Send a vulture on the ETA of my aid and the schedule of things I need to look over._

 _Yeah, I owe you. Yes, I'm awful. Yes, you prefer me when all I did was usher you death threats. Name your price below._

 _-Gaara_

Rubbing his eyes at the strain of the last few days and the thought process of how much grey hair this mission was going to give him Gaara looked up and noticed that the sun would rise soon. Knowing that Sakura would be up soon he started to make a cup of tea for them. Not to be rude he even made enough for Sasori.

Sakura slept blissfully dreamless and woke up with a clearer head after Gaara's kind words. Stretching and cleaning herself up for the day she redressed in her ninja attire and worked herself up the energy to enter the living room.

"Did you get any rest last night?" She asked, spying Gaara staring out at the scenery with a cup of tea in his hands.

"No, but I've told you not to worry about that before Sakura. I've saved you some tea as well. As soon as you're finished I'll wake up Askuna and we'll head out."

"He's still alive." Sakura groaned softly before picking up the tea and sipping it softly. Allowing the feeling of the tea to calm her nerves and settle her body she resolved to put her confusion in the past.

"For now. You'd forgive me if I were to slip up just a little right?" Gaara responded softly and Sakura nearly forgot the witty, morbid sense of humor the redhead she now called her boyfriend had.

"I'll pretend to be mad for Naruto's sake don't worry." She giggled and paused slightly at the sight of his little half-smile over the light of the morning sun. Sunrise and sunset. That's were Gaara always seemed the most striking. At the exact point of no return.

"Well then, I best mess up the tiniest bit then, as you'll only pretend to mind." Gaara chuckled lowly and sent out a sliver of sand. A few moments later a large groan could be heard and a rather perturbed Sasori stomped out into the living room.

"Am I to presume that was my wakeup call?"

"Five-star service is what I am to provide." Gaara rebutted and pointed to the still-hot tea available for him.

"Royal pain in my ass."

"Common pain in my ass."

"Exceptional pain in my ass to you sand brat."

"Our names both our indicative of the sand. Why bother with sand based insults?"

"Brat is the insult. Sand is the feeling I get from you. Irritating and always in everything of mine without permission."

Taking a moment to sip his tea quickly Sasori grabbed his proto-puppet and escorted them out of the inn.

"Well, it's time to head to Iwa. I can almost hear the brat annoying me from the grave."

"The brat… you mean your former partner Deidara?" Sakura asked as they started on the trail.

"Yes, the scroll is located in his childhood hideout."


	23. Chapter 23

It was turning into a tale worthy of 10001 Arabian nights. Gaara felt that if he actually survived this mission he would have his own tale in the legendary Suna tome. From Mist to Iwa alone was turning into the journey from Hell. The three were diligent travelers and routinely were used to long journeys for various reasons. With that fact, they knew they could make the journey in 5 instead of the usual 7 days. However, Gaara still had to run a country and they had to make plans to stop in an inn every day or so so that Gaara could read, review, and sign documents so that said country could continue to be run.

So, it was needless to say, as they passed through the general region of three other scrolls that Gaara was incredibly pissed off at the irritating pathway Sasori made the scrolls take. The fact that his council was on his ass surprisingly well for being three nations away, and that the so-called puppet master genius was one of the most idiotic people in the world to deal with didn't make it any better. It was obvious Sasori only took point in missions, and as such he would contradict Gaara at every strategical point imaginable. On day four Gaara suddenly stopped looked at Sakura and said briefly,

"I'll be back in two hours. Don't go anywhere kill him if he so much as looks at you in a way you find irritating." Gaara growled before disappearing in a whirlwind of sand.

"You're trying to get yourself maimed in a horrible brutally vicious way and I honestly couldn't fault him for it." Sakura groaned relaxing against the trunk of a tree.

"Little girl. Your boyfriend is still young and while not an imbecile he's not the best at traveling discreetly." Sitting with the puppet he had been crafting to restart his collection. Anansi, was the little spider's name was walked over to Sakura before pausing to rest on her knee.

"Your kazekage has never once needed to be discrete in his killings nor his travel. If I bother to tell him that this may not be the best way to travel on a top-secret mission then excuse me for having nearly as much experience leading missions as you do in being alive. Removing his puppet strings from the spider he gave Sakura a look again before asking. "I know you're a medic Kunoichi. Have you ever tested your skill in chakra manipulation with string practice?"

"String practice?" Sakura questioned looking down at the spider. She vaguely remembered Kankuro doing some sort of exercise called string practice but other than that she didn't know much about it.

"I forget how few people in fire ever worked with puppets. You should know the procedure of creating a chakra scalpel. Move the energy to a point on the tip of your finger and cast it out to a point of your choosing. Start from there and I'll see if you can handle the rest of the movements.

Sakura was confused, why was he invested in her improving her chakra manipulation? It didn't make sense to her. Moving to activate her chakra scalpel and then concentrate her energy down to a point about 1/4th of an inch thick she looked at the spider puppet in front of her and attempted to cast it on one of its legs. It attached and Sakura squealed with glee before realizing who was teaching her this technique.

"Good. Sakura. I'm impressed your control is this small despite being a beginner. See if you can move Anansi's leg and focus on the combination between the physical movement of the string and your intent on how you want the leg to move." Sasori added and as Sakura was always a student eager to learn, she immediately went into the free lesson Sasori had decided to teach her.

 _He's not a bad teacher, in fact, he's really good. I guess it wasn't a complete shock to learn he had so many students while in the Akatsuki. Wait no this is Sasori. This is the god awful murder. This is the sick man who desecrated bodies and turned them into puppets. This is the man who killed the third kazekage. How on earth could he be this kind of teacher?_

Nevertheless, Sakura did as told and attempted to move the little spider's leg. Silently praising Kankuro's chakra control as it was incredibly tiring to focus her energy on such tiny points while combining a mental and physical Jutsu.

"Stop. This is is good for today. You'll wear yourself out this way. Next time I'll teach you to hold the string rather than constantly expending the length of chakra." He chuckled taking a string and quickly pocketing the little spider.

"What kind of puppet is Anansi?"

"An informant. An assassin. One of its legs is hallowed and has a retractable syringe to put poison into the victim. It also is attached to my chakra line so I can utilize the third eye Jutsu technique to see what the spider sees."

Sakura didn't want to know where Sasori got the materials for concocting a poison so quickly nor did she want to ask. She even more so did not like knowing that one of Gaara's most voyeuristic for Justus was not one that was exclusive to him. Looking up at the sky and trying to shake the thoughts from her mind she didn't realize she uttered her next words out loud.

"I don't want you."

"Fair enough kunoichi but you do desire me. I stand my ground on me having just that much control over you to warrant you wanting something from me. Now while I may concede that it just might be my mind and not my body it's truly hard to tell exactly what you crave when you're denying it altogether. It's boring and wasting both of our times and I hate to be kept waiting for any reason."

Sakura turned back to look at Sasori, and chastise him enough to have lost a bit of his hearing when she noticed he wasn't even looking at her. He really was beautiful to look at, like a painting of an angel almost. Those deep plum eyes seemed to glow like melted lava in the sun and his shaggy hair framed his face and jawline so well that his already youthful features made him seem downright boyish. His human body was far more muscular than his puppet one was, though people probably did need actual muscle to lug around puppets all day. He was beautiful. Sakura wasn't stupid enough to deny that fact but it was the way he was beautiful that bothered her.

As Sakura thought about her own redheaded lover he was more close to the idea of a painting. Gaara was color and shadow and his raw edges begged to be captured in the medium of brushstrokes. While on the other hand Sasori was smooth and sculpted. He was a cold, distant type of beauty that dared to be looked at but never truly understood. He was sculpture incarnate he was marble; he was an interpretation of the Lighting's Pygmalion so much so that it was terrifying. It was a cold harsh eternal beauty that shattered Sakura's soul and that's when she knew what she wanted from him. It only scared her more to realize she didn't know why she wanted it so badly.

Gaara came back shortly after, slightly bloody with a few skinned rabbits on his arm.

"I suppose dinner is a rabbit?" Sakura chuckled, grabbing a rag from her pack and cleaning his face from any gore that appeared. She could see his eyes losing that edge to them. That raw fire of bloodlust that could never truly disappear. Sakura was just happy the only things to suffer were a few creatures of nature.

"I was going to guess the catch of the day but I assume we're both right. Did you have a good hunt sand brat?" Sasori chuckled before standing up so that the trio could finish the short journey to where they decided their campgrounds would be for the evening.

"I no longer wish to see you murdered brutally by my own hands at this very moment if that's what you're asking. It's died back down to seriously maim you." Gaara responded with his morbid little sense of humor and went back to paying attention to Sakura, the jade of his eyes softening like a cool lake in the moonlight.

"I may have already done that if you weren't there to lessen my will to murder."

"Oh cut the crap you two and wait until you can get a room. I feel like I'm babysitting children here and I should know, I have one." Sasori groaned and moved to take point in their formation as a hint to start moving.

"Speaking of your child, Wisteria will be meeting us in Iwa and will be joining us frequently for the rest of our journey," Gaara added, having been reminded of her approved addition to the mission in last night's update letter from Kankuro. The letters were a summary of all the things that went on in Suna and what he needed to know and any glaring decisions he needed to make. It was a very useful letter that Gaara would appreciate them more if he stopped calling them Krank Notes with his RaRa Responses. In fact, that made it into a letter.

 _Gaara,_

 _No, I will not let you silence the perfectly sound production of Krank Notes as they are doing a service for our country and with exceptional efficiency. Plus, as your older brother and acting Kazekage, I can call my notes whatever you want. Can't wait for your super-enthusiastic RaRa response._

 _The owe count is over 3000_

 _(love you anyway)_

 _Kankuro_

"I see. I'm curious to see how she has progressed in my time apart. Though I supposed I shouldn't be surprised a member of the Askuna clan has been succeeding in such high regard."

"No, you shouldn't papa. A scorpion always prevails." A voice chuckled and the trio turned to see Wisteria had gotten close to them.

"How on earth did you sneak up on us like that?" Sakura asked, slightly furious as to having all her training seemingly useless.

"Oh, my little cherry blossom you must have not done your research. A climbing flower is quiet and invasive. I always have been a very good informant. I have researched the chemical composition of chakra sensing and masking and I've gotten it down pact to the level and frequency of simple wooden creatures. You probably thought I was just another little rabbit hopping about." She teased turning to inspect the game that Gaara had caught, though Sakura did not miss the way her hand landed on the small of his back.

"Wisteria, you're early. I didn't expect you here until we reached Iwa tomorrow evening." Gaara mentioned having only just gotten the note from Kankuro the day prior.

"Well I left as soon as I got the word and it's not exactly that lengthy of a process to get to Iwa from Suna." She shrugged and moved to hand a scroll over to Sasori.

"I could only get you a standard training pack of puppets. Limited weapons, no poisons and they aren't exactly your work. Kankuro only approved them because he knew with the travel we were doing you might get in a serious enough bind to need a proper weapon."

What Gaara was thinking is this his elder brother probably had a little leftover fondness for his childhood icon, but he was already holding three dead rabbits and didn't want to start anymore bloodshed on his shorter than usual temper.

"Well, then it looks like we've got a proper squad on our hands. Too bad this world seems so safe. We could've added to our bingo books and our bounty to this one."

"Shut it Sasori I liked you better when you were simply a kill line on my page."

AN: Totally hated this one but I always hate filler and I've left this sitting for a month. Give me some fresh desires!


	24. Chapter 24

Iwa was never a nation Sakura could travel easily to. They were historically the land the Fire nation had the most issues with and even with the treaty in place Sakura still needed the most paperwork to travel legally in the land of Earth. They were currently maneuvering through a mountain path that Sakura could respectably call treacherous and honestly call only a place people with a death wish should travel for the past few hours. Sakura had taken to using chakra stabilizers for her steps the last few minutes and turned to see how her pseudo team was fairing.

It seemed appropriate that Gaara did not adjust himself but had the world adjust for him as he used his sand to act as levelers and stabilizers for the following step he would take. The puppet masters utilized their chakra strings as rope stabilizers, turning their difficult foot trek to a leisurely mountain climb. It seemed Sakura was putting in the most effort for the least return and it was easy to say she was more than a little irritated by it.

"We should be there soon. At the next fork, we'll veer left and spot a cave. The next scroll is in there."

"Finally, Kakashi would have my head if he knew I was here without so much as a notice. At least it's not in the village itself." Sakura sighed and moved to adjust the frequency of her chakra pulses in her feet; effectively putting an actual spring in her step.

"You leaf really need to do something about your Iwa relations. It's barely a bother for Sand to travel to well any land." Wisteria laughed lightly and Sakura could feel her eye twitch in annoyance.

"Your three main exports are private security, textiles, and fucking gemstones. The richest people in the world deal with Suna and they're everywhere, of course, you can get by easily." Sakura growled and was about to add before Gaara stepped in.

"I don't think I've ever seen a complement of our choice in exports being framed in such a negative light."

"Gaara-Kun, I didn't mean for it to.."

"It's no trouble Sakura I know you meant no harm by it and Wisteria enough of your taunting. I know you're bored but Sakura is an ally. It only hurts you and the rest of the team to rile her up." Gaara finished, gripping Sakura's hand before returning to the formation.

"Oh, but Gaara-sama it's so easy to get under her skin. Plus she gets so riled up when I talk to her it's adorable really." Wisteria pouted and it took all of Sakura's willpower not to explode then and there.

Sasori was conceded, and elitist for sure, but he had just an overwhelming aura of boredom that it lowered most of his comments to the tune of him simply just not wanting to be there. Wisteria used all those same traits like she was flirting, and to those, she wanted to please it made them seem special, in the know, worthy. Yet to those out of her circle it was an enraging lesson in other that made Sakura's blood boil. What on Earth did Gaara see in her and furthermore what made her so good at being his right hand that he ignores all of these atrocious traits?

Sakura was attempting to calm her rather tempestuous mood when she felt a rumble in the rock formation. A second later a kunai flew through the air and Gaara immediately deployed his sand to catch it.

"We're being ambushed, they have the upper hand with the hill, stay close," Gaara added and the quartet moved into a tight formation to try and catch whatever was coming for them. Needless to say, Sakura was not anticipating a rock slide as a follow-up attack.

"Defense positions!" Sakura roared out, taking a quick calculation of the path they had before them and the rocks that were rolling down at an alarming rate. She would have to time this perfectly and she hoped she was right as she slammed down into the ground with a chakra pulsed punch.

As it turned out that lesson in chakra manipulation Sasori gave her was very nicely timed and Sakura's punch was able to be directed narrow and forward as desired. What was not nearly as desired were the dozen or so rouge bandits that decided to come across their party.

"I hate bandits. They have no class." Wisteria groaned, moving to pull a scroll out of her sleeve and summon a large raven puppet. The bird's beak gleamed and Wisteria's fingers flew nimbly as the bird flew sharp and fast, the beak slicing whatever went with it.

"You're not having all the fun daughter dearest, I haven't had a fight in decades I used my real body for. It'll bring back memories if I can produce some actual perspiration." Sasori laughed and popped open the scroll of starter puppets he had been given. His eyes had a wild glean to them and produced a sense of life to them that normally laid deeply dormant in his plum-colored eyes.

Gaara sighed at the particular arrangement of their party. A few bandits were no problem for him at any time but the path was narrow and unstable and he only had a limited amount of sand he knew he could make from the rock without disturbing the unstable ground Sakura's punch and the rock slide created. He would rather not fight and they weren't supposed to be here at all so they really couldn't kill them. He just wished someone in their party looked at maybe not engaging in a battle right this moment.

Sakura was honestly happy for the chance to fight off some brutes. They had a lot of core strength and the home turf advantage but they had little to no chakra to wield and as such, they were almost laughably unprepared to face even one of them.

Sakura was taking her time punching and kicking numbers four and five for her as a stray kunai came out of nowhere and sliced into her arm. The wound was pretty deep but it would be dealt with later. Deciding to stop toying with her opponents as they had just pissed her off she cracked her knuckles and set down to wiping them out for at least the next 12 hours.

"Not one drop." Sasori groaned inspecting the damage of his puppets and tsking at the subpar quality of the core joints. They were training units but still. They'd barely last another week let alone if a real opponent showed up. "I'm not even out of breath and I was dead last week. Talk about a waste of time."

"Papa what do you expect, this was practically a training exercise for us. Gaara-sama didn't even have to dirty his hands at all." Wisteria chuckled and resumed her puppets to their original place.

"I was busy keeping us standing. This ground is very unstable. We should find this cave and take a different route down." Gaara mumbled with slight irritation. He was earth chakra leaning and these three were violent fighters in the field if given the option. Gaara was gruesome but his work was efficient and clean if warranted.

"The cave is just up ahead. We'll be there soon and I can patch up our little cherry blossom there." Sasori drooled on before moving to take point.

"Patch, up, Sakura." Gaara quickly moved, turning towards the rosette and inspecting her. Frowning when he spotted the patch of blood growing around her shoulder blade.

"You're hurt."

"I'm fine. I was being careless and I got carried away. I can heal myself just fine when we make camp." Sakura smiled and patted Gaara's cheek before moving to Sasori's right.

"Sakura let me heal you. You know it's twice as exhaustive to heal yourself and that spot is hard to reach accurately." Sasori stated simply and Sakura hated to know he was right. Sasori was known already to have taken up medical ninjutsu from Chiyo-sama and the wound wasn't a complicated fix. She was just being stubborn.

...

They made camp before sunset and while Wisteria and Gaara set out to get water and dinner, Sakura started making a fire.

"We'll make camp, rest tonight and I'll grab the scroll in the morning. Anansi should have enough skill to fetch it and a simple transportation justu should have them in our hands in minutes."Sasori smirked before settling his features on the now lit Sakura.

"Now on the matter of your shoulder."

"Just get it over with." Sakura sighed and undid her top, shivering a bit in the cold cave in her bindings. Moving to kneel behind her Sasori moved to place a hand on her arm to steady her and another to start that familiar but new feeling of warm healing chakra.

The wound while not complicated was deep, and Sakura knew it would take some time to heal through all the muscles nerves and skin tissue. What surprised her that after a while Sakura could hear the soft sound of Sasori's voice, echoing softly in cave.

" _High in the halls of the kings who were gone, Jinny would dance with her ghosts._

 _The ones she had lost and the ones she had found, and the ones who had loved her the most._

 _The ones who'd been gone for so very long, she couldn't remember their name._

 _They spun her around on the damp old stone, Spun away all her sorrow and pain."_

He was soothing and gentle, and it shocked her to know how nice it felt to have his voice and the fire and the internal warmth of the healing chakra. It wasn't until he got to the last verse that she remembered this was a famous Iwa lullaby. Her father sang it to her after one of his trips and it was her favorite for years. Clearing her throat she couldn't help but sing along.

" _And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave._

 _Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave._

 _Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave."_

* * *

Meanwhile Wisteria and Gaara were circling through the woods for wildlife. Sighing out Wisteria turned towards Gaara and grinned as the sounds of birds fluttering were heard in the distance.

"Shall we dance Gaara-sama?"

"Wisteria, that was, inappropriate."

"No it wasn't, it was thrilling and fun and it let out a side of you I can tell you've missed for so very long. If it's about your girlfriend, well I promise I won't ravish you on the woodlyn floor this time." She grinned and held out her hand.

"That was one time," Gaara mumbled but didn't quite turn away from her request.

"And it was thrilling, as our dance macabre will be. Come on we'll even wash up before we head back so none are the wiser of our little pas de deux." She grinned and even curtsied as her starting greeting.

"Won't it be nice to let blood rain again? In dark, away from prying eyes, with only your shadow to know?" She purred and Gaara was reminded of why he was so swayed by her calling before. She was a vixen, a temptress.

However, Gaara rationalized as he placed a hand against hers and they began their bloody tango, he didn't get to spill blood in the battle and where was the harm in catching dinner?

They were only whispered about at this moment. They called them death and his shadow. It was bloody and graceful and was filled with screams and laughter. Gaara rarely let this side of him show and it would never be seen by Sakura, but Wisteria, she was like his dark temptress. She loved him for who he was. Loved his intelligence and callous, and his dark desires. He hated how much he loved the feeling of desire and rage colliding with each other. He could still remember the smell of her hair mixed with blood as they stared up at the moon, naked and delirious and surrounded by the corpses of their victims.

Wisteria was his darkness, she was all-consuming and maddening and his shadow was the perfect person to be his aide. Yet, he knew she would be his downfall. Sakura was his light, she loved him for who he could be. She would be his salvation, but for now, he would indulge in safe, measured doses of his darkness. Gaara would dance the dance of death, but only a song, not a symphony. There would only be a drop of blood not a river and he would be faithful to his light, and she would never know of his weaknesses.

The dance was short-lived, and there only managed to be a bit of carnage. Birds didn't bleed very much. But Gaara's sand was a very effective de-featherer and the two walked back to the cave satiated and happy to cook a nice dinner, only to hear the sounds of their voices finishing their song in the cave.

Gaara turned towards his aide and was shocked at the sight before him. A smile, from ear to ear was stretched on her face as tears fell down her face.

"Wisteria,"

"Don't." She turned, a smile cracking into a sob as she wiped her tears and resettled herself.

"Wisteria please."

"He's mine." She stated simply. "She has you, she took you, she gave you up, she took you again. She took my father from me once. She won't again." She murmured lowly.

"Wisteria, what are you insinuating?" Gaara asked lowly.

"I'm giving you a warning. Enforce it. I won't disobey my father but you don't like her with Sasori either. Keep them apart." She finished, standing up straight and fixing a gentle smile on her face as she walked in with their refilled canteens.

Stopping to turn towards Gaara and letting a bit of that darkness within her seep through she added softly, "Or I will."

* * *

AN:/ Hey ya'll. Happy Black Friday (Or whatever it is now,) Please please please give me your thoughts on this development and how you think this little journey will progress? Also, Jenny of Oldstones is the song and the inspiration for the entire second part of the chapter. Miss you all so much, hope to update more.


	25. Chapter 25

The trek back out of Iwa was silent. Gaara seemed strained and more protective than usual. Sakura tried to rationalize his actions and knew it didn't seem like a good situation but he assured her that he was not angry at her. The omission of who he was angry at didn't escape her and she was quite aware of how dangerous Gaara could be when he was provoked.

Despite Sakura's inner worries, Sasori did what he said he would do. The four of them ate in silence and at the crack of dawn, they were woken up to Sasori and another scroll.

"Let's go. It's another couple of days to get to Grass and this time of year the area is awful so we may experience delays." He murmured with a grimace and then moved to take point.

Wisteria and Gaara continued their morning briefing as usual in their journey. However, Sakura could tell something was bothering Gaara quite a bit. Apparently, she wasn't the only one to notice.

"Trouble in paradise little spider? Something seems to be up with the sand prince." He murmured and Sakura looked up to the odd nickname as well as the fact that he noticed the difference in Gaara as well.

"We're fine Sasori, not that it should matter to you." She scoffed and she swore she heard a small tsk come from his lips.

"It matters when my daughter has the same look. I hoped it was between you two and her actions were simply an outward expression of the same irritation I feel. If you and the sand prince are indeed fine… then it's about them and I indeed think it matters to me."

Sakura paused, there seemed to be no ulterior motive, no scathing remark just a father worried about why his daughter was upset. Sasori always managed to seem so kind at the oddest of moments.

"I don't know what happened, but he seemed off when he came back from hunting. Maybe they fought then?" Sakura offered in an attempt to rationalize things.

"I suggest you figure out what's wrong with your beau kunoichi, and that he doesn't take his temper out on my daughter." He added before increasing his speed.

 _Well, there went that tender sweet moment._ Sakura sighed, maybe Sasori could only be a caring person in short doses?

The group left Iwa and traipsed the border of the nations, heading towards the historic Tenshi bridge. Sakura felt nearly a sense of fond nostalgia heading back to this bridge. This was the very bridge they had met Sasori's informant and realized their first tip of Kabuto being behind the Akatsuki Madara conundrum. It was strange heading back here with Sasori but it reminded Sakura that Sasori was many things, but bitter was never one of them; was Wisteria the one with the bitter trait?

"You're pursing Gaara-sama. It is a bit unbecoming." Wisteria murmured before arranging the scrolls she needed to finish up their morning meeting and send things along to Kankuro.

"You threatened my girlfriend. If I didn't know you were simply talking in the heat of the moment I would have fired you if not worse." Gaara mentioned, keeping his tone level and low.

"What I want is what you want. I don't have any desire to keep Sakura near my father. I'm simply a bit more vocal about this. I would never betray you after all that you have done for me, but I'd rather not have to choose between protecting my father and keeping you happy." She frowned and looked up at the two.

"They're too similar Gaara-sama. If given the right push she could be one of his greatest pupils, a dangerous pair, and there were very few of my fathers' students that didn't have some sort of feelings for him. You two have enough in common that her having a bit of a teacher's crush would be par for the course." She sighed and looked up at Gaara with a smirk.

"I simply want to keep you happy. Keeping me happy helps that."

"Enough Wisteria. I will note your worries and I trust Sakura. You should spend more time with her. You find the light in the darkness so easily why are you finding so much darkness in something so bright?" Gaara questioned his tone that of a scolding teacher.

"I see what's hidden. Darkness tries to hide light and creatures of light," She paused gesturing to the rosette in front of her. "Hide their darkness in ways disguised in other emotions. Wrath, lust, envy, sloth, pride, greed, gluttony and worst of all fear. Fear is what the darkness breaths in and the creatures of light destroy in. The number of terrible things done by supposedly good people from fear would send shivers down most dark creatures' backs. The things we would never dare to do they don't so much as blink twice before achieving. Worst all they think they're helping; we at least know we're bad. You care for her yes, well then help her. She may be so bright she is blinded to her own darkness. An eclipse that will blind you if looked at too long."

Sakura paused and noticed Wisteria pop up to swap places with her and stand next to Sasori. While a bit irritated at the silent shove to head back Sakura was happy to have a bit more time with Gaara.

"Are you alright? Truly?"

"Yes, it is of minimal concern to you. A bit of my cautious nature rearing its head. I don't like how long this is taking and it's rather souring my mood." Gaara covered and Sakura paused but didn't push further.

"I understand. It must kill you to be away from your people for so long. Away from your city and how you like to run things."

"I trust Kankuro actually, and it is nice to be on a mission again for once. Given different circumstances, I would actually consider this quite the vacation. Plus there is the added bonus of you being by my side for all of it." He smirked and Sakura couldn't help but have a blush spread across her face.

Catching her blush Gaara smiled and commented lightly. "I always did like seeing the color of your namesake streaked across your face. It suits you so nicely."

Laughing lightly Sakura rolled her eyes before moving ahead and they sprinted along their journey.

They reached the Tenshi bridge in the span of a day or so and what surprised Sakura was a full-blown festival being set up around them. Seeing Wisteria ask a peasant about the occasion she sauntered back to us.

"Well it looks like the Midsummer Festival is in full swing and we've arrived the day before the biggest day. The entire town will be full of festivities and tomorrow there will be a huge fireworks show. Without us taking part in the festivities we would stand out like sore thumbs." She frowned and turned to look at Sasori and Gaara for their opinion.

"This could be a good thing. The town would be distracted and the four of us if dressed appropriately could move around the town and get to the cemetery without causing a disturbance." Sasori answered first and Gaara nodded accordingly.

"I have to get some work done but Wisteria, you and Sakura should go out into the town and get us something appropriate to wear. Wisteria knows my sizes well enough. I'll procure an inn so we can make camp and talk quietly about how we're going to become grave robbers without notice." Before anything else could be added Gaara turned towards Sasori and gestured for him to follow.

"Come on, let's leave the shopping to the women. We've got some strategizing to do." Without much chance for an argument, Sakura was left with Wisteria and an irritated feeling that this wouldn't be a fun shopping trip.

"Let's go quickly. I don't want to keep Gaara-sama waiting long. I'm sure there would be several options for us to buy summer yukatas with the festival in place." Wisteria said irritatedly.

Rolling her eyes at the thought of being regaled to the nature of babysitting a child Sakura walked into the lovely town. Her parents were merchants and she's traveled enough to know how to deal with different shop owners and fabric choice better than Wisteria was giving her credit for.

Looking around town she spotted an old fabric makers shop and got a hunch it would be a good bet.

Entering the shop politely, an old woman was shuffling around putting up bolts and hanging kimonos on dress forms.

"Just a moment, ah two beautiful young ladies. What have you come for?"

"We wanted to go to the festival tomorrow, and was wondering if you could get us four options? The men we are traveling with are out doing other errands anyway." Sakura giggled and looked at the shop, pleased at the quality of the designs.

"Smart cookie, but isn't it tradition for your loved one to pay for the kimono?" She asked looking at the two girls before shuffling through her patterns to find appropriate colors for the two of them.

"He is. The benefit of traveling with a wealthy businessman. I get to do the shopping and he gets to do the paying." Wisteria chuckled and Sakura internally growled at the insinuation that Gaara was her boyfriend.

"Well, what do they look like, these rich businessmen? Can't exactly choose without knowing their coloring." She murmured pulling out a beautiful mint green floral design for Sakura and a midnight blue with abstract stars for Wisteria.

"They both have red hair, are fairly slim though one is taller than the other. The taller one has teal eyes and the shorter one has eyes almost identical to my travel companion here. They are also from pretty Nobel families so if you could make sure I don't accidentally give them something common I would really appreciate it." Sakura laughed and the elderly lady chuckled along beside Sakura, adjusting a pin in her hair before going through her supply.

"Family members I presume?" She asked filtering through her men's jackets first.

"Yes, cousins," Sakura added wondering why Wisteria was being so quiet.

"Which one is in the main house, if it is such a Nobel line as you said." She questioned pulling out two black jackets, although one had the intricate design of a dragon on it.

"The one with teal eyes, but he is younger than the other one." Sakura smiled, looking at the beautiful detail and noting that either one of them would look great in it.

"Age doesn't matter in this case. The gods wouldn't look favorably on me giving the second house a more extravagant choice but if both are from the same family as your friend there then I can't exactly give either something ordinary, less you come back for my head." She whispered and Sakura chuckled at the comment, nodding lightly at the phrase.

The lady had procured a maroon yukata for Gaara and a deep plum one for Sasori, giving the latter an intricate black obi with a silver stitched design and a fan as well. Thanking the woman for her help and smiling at the beautiful whites and pinks that she had on her own kimono. She then tried to pay for her item before being stopped by Wisteria.

"I wasn't joking. Gaara-sama would have my head if he knew I let you pay. If he asked me to pick them up he wanted to pay." She rolled her eyes before producing a red wallet and a surprisingly large number of bills to pay for them.

"What a nice young man. I'll give you a discount then for your worries. Please tell your friends to buy from my shop the next time they are in town." She grinned and Sakura nodded before grabbing the bags and headed out.

"How do you know so much about Suna family dynamics?" Wisteria murmured quietly as they walked out and in the direction, Gaara and Sasori went. Sasori having sent a small scorpion summons with the address of their inn.

"Honestly I got a bit of knowledge from Temari but I know about the dynamics from the Hyuuga clan. Naruto was freaking out about all the hoopla he had to go through during his wedding and apparently Gaara instantly knew what to do because of his own family traditions, despite not having to deal with most of them now." She shrugged. Sasuke had his own set of family traditions and back when she wanted nothing more than to be Mrs. Sakura Uchiha she constantly researched and studied Nobel family dos and don'ts.

"Thank you. I didn't even think about my father's place in line and I usually dress as the Kazekage's aid as Elder Ebizo is still clan head for the Askunas." Wisteria added and Sakura then realized that in some weird way, Sakura knew more about Wisteria's family than she did. That had to be upsetting.

"I'm sure you'll be in your own form of headache once Sasori tells you all about your family, though maybe don't tell them you're not dressing like the lady title you have. I think he and Gaara-Kun would have a fight for the ages."

"Perhaps you're right Haruno, I suppose I'll keep that bit of information to myself," Wisteria commented, smiling lightly.

—

Meanwhile, the two redheads of note were strategizing their plan of action for this scroll and the next.

"So I sense the scroll in a grave by an oak tree and use my earth nature to pull it out as simply as possible. Why do I feel like that is not as easy as it sounds?"

"It will be with my cover. The tree is on the hill you take your little cherry blossom for a lover's view of the fireworks and when they start so do you. The festival is actually a perfect cover." Sasori mentioned while not looking at the redhead, busy whittling a set of falling flowers on a hair comb.

"What are you doing?" Gaara asked looking at his intricate yet clearly nonlethal work.

"A tradition. When Wisteria was little I would often make her wooden combs for the festivals she had. I'll paint it when I see her choice and it'll be dry in the morning." Looking at the table of delicate little flowers Sasori had started to string together Gaara pursed his lips in thought.

"Would you like me to make one for your cherry blossom?" He questioned lightly, and Gaara was surprised that it seemed to be an honest offer.

"No, well maybe some paint would be nice. I'm not very good at that." He added before looking through his jacket and procuring some red sand mixed with his normal sand. Looking at the base of the comb Sasori had already made Gaara quickly crafted a comb with a collection of cherry blossoms at the top.

"Sand doesn't really hold paint well sand brat.."

"Wait." Gaara murmured before concentrating and covering the comb with his hands. Closing his eyes Gaara implemented a bit of fire style and with his sand armor, he was able to withstand the heat of the fire. Looking at the lava hot nature he levitated it and used the properties of the liquid sand to define the shapes again before leaving it in the air above them to cool.

"Impressive. I didn't realize you still had control over sand when it turned into glass."

"It was a bit of an experiment of mine to test how strong my manipulation of sand was. The glass has become a recent hobby of mine. Still can't paint them well though." Gaara shrugged and went back to his paperwork for the day, the pile significantly larger now that Wisteria was here with him and everything that would normally be filtered to her just gets sent straight.

The glass cooled enough to set down with a bit of Sasori's wind style done on a minimal level and was placed in a corner to set into clear with the promise that Sasori would paint it in the morning.

The girls returned soon after with some procured dinner and in mild awe that the boys were quietly working on their individual tasks.

Wisteria quickly setting down to work on her own pile Sakura moved to read before Sasori's spider pet returned on her knee.

"Lesson two Haruno. You know how to make a chakra string. Hold just enough chakra to maintain what you have similar to how you store your yin seal and try those exercises again." Sasori stated simply and seemingly without the option for Sakura to be questioned.

Confused at the sudden sensei role he had decided to play in her life Sakura hesitantly moved to do as he asked, focusing on not expelling any more chakra than what was necessary to initially make the string.

It took some time but she was able to complete the task, transferring the string to each leg and making it move.

"Good," Sasori mentioned, shocking Sakura a bit as she didn't realize he was even paying attention to her as he was working on fixing up one of the starter puppets he had been given.

"Make two and make it walk. You should only need two strings to do that with proper alternating choice of the leg." Sasori added for assistance and Sakura sighed but continued not wanting to admit this was as good of a chakra training as anything in her medical arsenal currently had her doing. She would again have to complement Kankuro on doing something this meticulous and time consuming all the time.

Sakura lasted another hour of practice, combining eating in one hand and training in the other, surprised at the similar way her travel companions worked. She hadn't worked on a team this silent and productive since that one escort mission with Shino, Hinata, and Shikamaru. (Kiba was on a bounty hunt at the time and unavailable.) Having had Naruto on her team for the better part of a decade Sakura was not used to the quiet, studious nature that was so similar to well, herself.

Rubbing her eyes Sakura blinked and noticed Gaara had gotten closer to her.

"Come, let's head to our room. It's late." He added and Sakura was surprised that she must have gone on longer than even an hour. Standing up to stretch her muscles she followed Gaara across the hall to another set of rooms.

"I figured you would want some privacy and I trust Wisteria to watch over Sasori adequately. Kakashi also sent you some scrolls I'm sure you'd like to read." He smiled handing them to her before moving to wash up for the evening.

Opening the scroll Sakura smiled in the notice that in addition to a scroll from Kakashi she had also gotten a note from her knucklehead ninja too. Opening that one first and grinning at Naruto's messy scrawl she set to read.

 ** _Hey Sakura!_**

 ** _I can't believe you get to go on a mission with Gaara for a whole month! I'm so jealous. I was talking to Hinata about it and she said you two would be a good pair. I thought about it for a while and you know what she's right! You both are smart and kind and really strong. You love helping people and well if you come back finally admitting that Gaara is as awesome as I say he is then I told you so. Hope everything is going well. Kakashi sensei won't tell me what you're doing just that it's very important but not very dangerous, whatever that means. Come back soon and if you stop in Suna for a while could you pick me up some spice packets? Gaara knows the ones they make this awesome spicy ramen that I've been craving._**

 ** _Stay safe, shout if you need anything okay? Hokage training can wait._**

 ** _Naruto._**

Smiling at the letter that practically emptied the blond from the page, Sakura folded the note in her pack and opened up the decidedly more professional letter from Kakashi.

 _Sakura,_

 _I hope this mission has been fruitful for you so far. Gaara has been giving me appropriate updates on the procurement of the scrolls and I am pleasantly surprised but happy at the mostly painless retrieval you've had thus far. He, however, has not been as forthcoming with the nature of Sasori's resurrection and his movements. I'll attach the process to lend you one of my messenger dog summonses. I'm adding a secondary mission to study his movements and motives for my own studies. The sand is notoriously known for keeping matters about them to themselves, even if well-intended. He was a world-class criminal, a member of the Akatsuki. I'm not nearly as easy to accept change like our blonde friend is. Keep your eyes open. I trust your judgment._

 _-Kakashi_

Putting the scroll away quickly, though not before adding her blood to the summons request she saw Gaara step out from the shower.

"Being in lands so bountiful with water is making me spoiled. I really should get back to sand before I sprout gills and be given a new title."

"Gaara of the rivers sounds pretty deadly to me." Sakura chuckled turning to look at the small pile he had brought with him.

"When was the last time you slept?" She asked counting back to when she could remember seeing him rest and frowning when she couldn't.

"Longer than you would like." Gaara sighed knowing a scolding was coming.

"Come to bed with me tonight. I'd feel a lot better if you at least tried to sleep." Sakura asked standing up and holding out her hand.

"I'm surprised you would even still want me to share a bed with you." Gaara murmured. And Sakura remembered the fractured state their relationship was currently in.

"I remember feeling safe and comforted. It doesn't hurt to try and feel like that again. At least an attempt."

Nodding Gaara took her hand and led her to the bedroom. Climbing into his arms Sakura felt a wave of nostalgia sweep over her. The feeling of calm before the raging storm of the war, and while she knew the moment was good, she couldn't help but dread that the last time she felt like this, the moments after were nothing short of disastrous.


End file.
